HS2 has helped more than 5,700 previously unemployed people into work, exceeding one of the project’s key employment targets as it welcomed a new intake of welding apprentices in the West Midlands.
The latest figures show that 5,771 people who were previously unemployed have now secured jobs on Britain’s high-speed railway, surpassing HS2’s original ambition of supporting 5,000 jobseekers into employment.
The milestone comes as 10 new welding operative apprentices begin work on the project, helping to construct the Curzon approaches, the network of viaducts that will carry trains into Birmingham’s Curzon Street station.
New welding apprentices tackle industry skills shortage
The apprenticeships have been created by HS2’s construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) alongside subcontractors Martifer and AA Euro to address a nationwide shortage of qualified welders.
The recruits will work towards a Level 2 apprenticeship while gaining practical experience on one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.
To ensure opportunities benefited local communities, vacancies were promoted through Jobcentre Plus offices across the West Midlands, including the dedicated HS2 Recruitment Hub at Washwood Heath.
Prospective apprentices first completed a paid 10-day work trial before successful candidates were offered permanent apprenticeship places.
The latest intake includes nine recruits under the age of 30, alongside one apprentice aged 48, highlighting the project’s focus on supporting both young people entering the industry and older workers looking to retrain.
Building skills for the future
The apprentices come from Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall and Stoke-on-Trent and will divide their time between classroom learning and practical site experience.
Training will be delivered by Walsall-based provider Performance Through People, with apprentices attending fortnightly classroom sessions while receiving hands-on coaching from experienced engineers and welding specialists working on HS2.
Julie Venn Morton, HS2’s Senior Skills and Inclusion Manager for the West Midlands, said: “5,771 unemployed people have already secured work on HS2, and I’m delighted we’ve been able to build on that with these 10 new roles.
“Welding is a skill for life, and I’m confident our new starters will have a promising career ahead of them.”
Kam Hundal, Skills, Employment and Education Business Partner at Balfour Beatty VINCI, said the new roles would help address a critical shortage of welding skills across the UK while creating long-term career opportunities.
Local people benefit
Twenty-one-year-old Tyler Moore from Walsall, who discovered the opportunity at a careers fair, said leaving an office job to join HS2 had been the right decision.
“After completing my A-Levels, I went straight into an office job, but I quickly discovered this wasn’t the right career path for me,” he said.
“Now, I’m a welding apprentice working on the HS2 project and I’m loving every minute. Being able to observe the physical progress of works is extremely rewarding.”
Forty-eight-year-old Andrew Short, who secured his apprenticeship through the HS2 Recruitment Hub in Washwood Heath, said the project was delivering tangible benefits for local communities.
“As a local resident, I’ve witnessed the positive impact HS2 is having in Birmingham,” he said.
“I don’t just mean the major viaducts that are springing up from the ground. It’s also providing local people with employment and opportunities to learn new skills.”
Employment targets exceeded
Around 10,000 people are currently working on HS2 across the West Midlands, representing almost one-third of the project’s total workforce.
The region has also benefited from 870 apprenticeships, while 2,214 previously unemployed local residents have moved into new careers through the programme.
Having exceeded both its target of creating 2,000 apprenticeships and supporting 5,000 unemployed people into work, HS2 is now updating its Skills, Employment and Education Strategy to continue creating employment and training opportunities as construction progresses.
