HS2’s construction partner, EKFB, is hosting its third annual schools’ event in Buckinghamshire next week, and there’s still time for local schools and colleges to sign up.
Making Tracks into Construction will welcome up to 2,000 students to EKFB’s construction site near Bicester from Tuesday, 16 to Friday, 20 September 2025.
The event includes 25 exhibits hosted by HS2’s supply chain partners, including Flannery, GAP and Ferrovial Construction. Experts from a range of job roles, including geology and safety, will be on hand to speak to students about careers and pathways into construction.
Delegates will be offered the chance to drive an articulated dumper truck on simulators and embark upon a variety of construction-based challenges.
EKFB is a joint-venture made up of the companies Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall. It is leading construction of HS2 along a 50-mile section of the route.
With just one week to go until the event, EKFB’s skills and employment team is inviting secondary school pupils, from Year 9 and above, and colleges across Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to take part in this interactive and informative careers event.
The event provides a great start to careers education for the academic year. Sessions deliver on three Gatsby Benchmarks - a framework of eight standards for world-class careers guidance in education, developed by the Gatsby Foundation for schools and colleges in England.
Demand means there are now just four 90-minute slots with availability. The remaining places are ideally suited to students who are interested in apprenticeships and building a career in engineering and construction. There are over 180 different types of jobs linked the construction industry and – as the sessions will show - it’s not all about hard hats and heavy machinery!
Dates and timeslots with availability are: -
- Tuesday 16 September at 9:30
- Wednesday 17 September at 09:30
- Thursday 19 September at 11:00
- Thursday 19 September – a tailored event for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This session will be based on pupil’s needs and requirements.
EKFB Skills, Employment & Education Coordinator, Victoria Hingley, said:
“When we launched Making Tracks into Construction in 2023, we welcomed 160 students. The event has grown bigger each year, and we are now offering up to 2,000 local students the chance to step inside the gates and find out more about the engineering and construction works taking place in their area.
“As 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, we aren’t just aiming to inspire the next generation of civil engineers. We’ll be raising awareness of the broad range of careers involved in building Britain’s new high-speed railway, proving there really is something for everyone.”
EKFB is also encouraging other local construction and infrastructure companies to get involved.
Victoria added:
“From housebuilding to highways, this is a great opportunity for other local companies in the area to get involved. Showcasing the world of work in a real-life setting gives young people a different perspective, and we hope this annual event will continue long after EKFB has delivered its programme of work on HS2.”
Teachers and tutors who would like to book spaces for their pupils should contact earlycareers@ekfb.com. EKFB’s education team can offer coach transfers and logistical support if required.
