HS2 is searching for more talented young people to help support the delivery of Britain's high-speed railway, with more than 30 apprenticeship vacancies going live today.
Earlier this year, HS2 Ltd announced that the project had exceeded its goal of creating 2,000 apprenticeships – a target that was set before construction started.
Mohammed Sharif, a civil engineering trainee from Birmingham, was crowned the 2,000th apprentice to join the project.
Despite hitting the target, it can now be revealed that more people are being given the opportunity to follow in the teenager’s footsteps, creating the pathway to skilled careers for those living close to the railway.
As National Apprenticeship Week 2026 gets underway, recruitment opens today for 34 apprenticeship and 16 graduate roles across the project.
Five apprentices will join the project controls and commercial teams within HS2 Ltd, the company responsible for building the railway, with opportunities based in Birmingham and London.
In addition, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), HS2’s West Midlands construction partner, is recruiting for 26 apprentices across a broad range of business areas. Site-based roles include construction quantity surveyors, civil engineers, materials technicians and geospatial technicians. There will also be opportunities to join BBV’s health and safety, procurement, information management and data analyst teams at its headquarters and satellite offices along the route of the railway.
In London, HS2’s construction partners have announced they are recruiting three new apprentices. Mace Dragados is beginning the search for a logistics apprentice, while Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA – the joint venture building Old Oak Common Station – is recruiting for roles in civil engineering and quantity surveying.
Skanska Costain STRABAG, HS2’s construction partner for the Euston approaches, will be boosting its workforce with 15 new apprentices. Recruitment for the vacancies, which include apprenticeships in engineering, project controls, IT and commercial, will launch later this month.
Rebecca Young, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Skills, Inclusion and Supply Chain said:
“We welcomed our very first cohort of HS2 apprentices back in 2017, so this year marks our tenth annual intake.
“Hitting the 2,000-apprentice milestone was a huge achievement not just for HS2, but the country as a whole, as we strive to create a specialist talent pool that will deliver the UK’s major infrastructure projects of the future.”
In January, HS2 Ltd published data showing that it had welcomed 2,032 new apprentice starts to date on the project.
Apprenticeships are proving to be a popular choice for sixth form and college leavers. However, with no upper age limit, HS2 also welcomes applications from individuals looking for a change of career direction.
Rebecca added:
“It’s never too late to start a new career and apprenticeships are a brilliant option for those seeking something new.
“With fully funded training costs and time allocated for study, there’s never been a better time to consider an apprenticeship.”
Balfour Beatty VINCI is actively seeking to place local people, who are out of work, into its level 3 apprenticeship roles – which are equivalent to two A-level passes. This forms part of the company’s overall drive to support local people, from the West Midlands, into new careers.
Shilpi Akbar, Head of Stakeholders and Communities, at Balfour Beatty VINCI said:
“Today, we’re launching 26 apprenticeship opportunities for people who want to learn new skills and kick-start a career in the construction industry.
“We’re encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds from the West Midlands to apply for these exciting and wide-ranging roles and play a crucial role in delivering Britain’s new high-speed railway.”
This year, HS2 Ltd is also launching a recruitment campaign for its sought-after graduate programme – a two-year course that allows candidates to rotate across different areas of the business.
Today it is announced that 16 graduate placements will join HS2 Ltd’s engineering, commercial and project controls teams, with roles based in Birmingham and London.
HS2’s ongoing investment in future talent will serve the country for years to come. The 33,000 people building the high-speed rail today will be constructing the homes and infrastructure projects of tomorrow. A new generation is learning from highly skilled industry experts, developing skills and knowledge that only a project of HS2’s scale can provide.
HS2 is now at an advanced stage of a comprehensive reset – putting the programme’s construction in the right sequence and bringing certainty to the railway’s final costs and opening dates. This will ensure HS2 is built as efficiently as possible and for the lowest reasonable cost.
Once open to passengers, HS2 will improve connections between London and the West Midlands, with trains running further north on existing lines. The new high-speed railway will create quicker and more reliable journeys, driving economic growth while freeing up space for more local trains on the most congested part of the West Coast Main Line.
Recruitment for this year’s apprentice and graduate intake opens on Monday, 9th February 2026.
- For more information about the apprentice and graduate roles with HS2 Ltd visit hs2.org.uk/careers/careers-with-hs2-ltd
- For more information about apprenticeships with HS2 Ltd’s construction partners visit hs2.org.uk/careers/careers-with-our-supply-chain/
