HS2 is celebrating a twin milestone of creating 900 apprenticeships and almost 25,000 new jobs.

HS2’s workforce increased by more than 2,000 in the last quarter, with the construction of Britain’s new railway now supporting a record 24,800 jobs. And HS2’s latest reporting figures also show it has smashed the 900 new apprentice starts milestone.

It is just 20 months since full construction works began on first phase of the project, and HS2 says it is well on track to reach its target of 2,000 apprenticeships. 

923 apprentices have now benefitted from HS2’s investment in their career development, as the project strives to create a talent pool that will drive forward the UK’s major infrastructure projects of the future and leave a lasting skills legacy.

Furthermore, over 2,000 new jobs have been added to the HS2 workforce, reflecting the rapid momentum on the project during the new calendar year, with civils construction works underway at over 300 sites between the West Midlands and London, and the bill submitted to Parliament to extend the high speed network north to Manchester.

Mark Thurston, CEO at HS2 Ltd said: “2022 is shaping up to be a huge year for HS2. Our expanding workforce reflects the scale of progress we are making in delivering Britain’s new railway and supporting the government’s drive to net zero, level up the country and build back better from the pandemic. With all three phases of the project now in progress, and two decades of construction work still ahead of us, the scale of opportunity for individuals and businesses on HS2 right across the UK continues to grow at pace.”

HS2’s supply chain saw continued growth, with 76 new UK businesses securing contract awards, taking the total number of unique UK businesses engaged in the supply chain to 2,515. Small and medium sized companies, seeking stability and new work opportunities following the challenges of pandemic, were also among those to benefit, with 61% of the supply chain now represented by SMEs.

The drive to create a lasting skills legacy and support those who are out of work into training and employment on the project continues to pay dividends. New fast track job training programmes, delivered at dedicated Skills Academies, and the success of HS2’s job brokerage partnership model has so far led to over a thousand people who were out of work securing a job. 98 more apprentices also began their career journey on HS2, taking the total number of apprenticeship starts since Royal Assent to 923.