HS2 contractor boosts apprenticeship programme

Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), HS2’s construction partner for the West Midlands, is planning to recruit 20 new apprentices to join the project.

BBV has opened applications for construction-focused apprenticeship roles within its delivery and support teams, including trainee roles in civil engineering, commercial, health and safety, environment, and business administration.

The contractor has so far supported more than 480 apprentices throughout its supply chain, working on construction sites and in office-based locations across a 90km section of the HS2 route.

More than 1,800 people have already secured an apprenticeship on the high-speed rail project, with 31,000 people currently working on the programme in total between London and the West Midlands. 

The project is on track to meet a target of generating at least 2,000 apprenticeships over the lifetime of the programme.

Julie Venn-Morton, HS2 Ltd’s senior skills and inclusion manager for the West Midlands, said: “Together with our construction and supply chain partners, HS2 is bringing thousands of new people into the workforce, increasing skills and helping to underpin the construction industry for years to come.”

An increasing number of apprentices are joining BBV via the T Level route, which offers an alternative to A Levels and focuses on vocational skills. 

Since 2020, a total of 30 students have been offered apprenticeships with BBV after completing their T Levels.

Each T Level includes an industry placement for a duration of at least 45 days.

“T Levels are a great alternative to more traditional routes into an apprenticeship and provide an ideal stepping stone into the construction industry,” said Venn-Morton.

Find more information about the apprenticeship opportunities here.