HS2 reaches workforce milestone 

HS2 Ltd has today (10 September) published its annual equality, diversity and inclusion report, which reveals the project’s latest workforce data.

The report shows that 246 people who were previously unemployed joined the project between April and June 2024. In total, 4,504 former jobseekers are now working on the project. 

More than 31,000 jobs are now being supported by HS2, including those joining the project via apprenticeships and graduate opportunities, as well as those who were out of work.

Natalie Penrose, head of legacy at HS2 Ltd, said: “When Royal Assent was granted in 2017, we forecast that we would create 22,000 jobs as part of [the] programme. Our skilled workforce has now surpassed 31,000 and of these, 4,500 are people who were out of work [and] are now benefiting from careers helping us to build HS2.

“To achieve this, we continue to work closely with local authorities, employment support services and charities – helping people who want to work but need additional support or training to do so. These collaborative partnerships have led to thousands more jobs being supported across the country in the wider supply chain.”