HS2 workforce rises to nearly 30,000 and they're still recruiting
In the last three months, the rapid pace of HS2’s construction has seen more than 2,300 people join the ‘orange army’ building HS2’s stations, viaducts, bridges and embankments.
It has taken the total workforce to just under 30,000.
The project’s record employment figure reflects the scale of major civils and early works now underway, spanning 350 sites from the South East to the North West.
The first tunnelling breakthrough at Long Itchington in Warwickshire, the appointment of the Solihull interchange station construction partner and the launch of the first giant tunnelling machine in London, are just some of the construction highlights that have fuelled workforce growth since the summer.
In addition, 217 people who were out of work were also supported into jobs, taking the total number of formerly unemployed now working on HS2 to just under 2,500.
HS2’s construction partners work with employment support services and local authorities along the route of the railway to ensure those most in need can access fast-track training programmes that lead to paid work trials and employment in a matter of weeks.
Mark Thurston, chief executive at HS2 Ltd, said: “HS2 is delivering growth for the UK economy today. Our contract awards are helping small businesses across the UK to grow and sustain their workforces, and nearly 30,000 people are benefitting from skilled jobs with a long-term future.
“By supporting apprentices and the unemployed into meaningful careers on HS2 we’re creating the next generation of engineers and construction workers, a trend that will continue as our construction programme gathers momentum going north.”
A further 210 UK businesses joined HS2’s supply chain this quarter, taking the current number of unique suppliers to 2,760 across all 12 UK nations and regions. Of those actively engaged in the supply chain 61 per cent are small and medium-sized businesses.
The drive to train the next generation also continued, with 45 new apprentice starts recorded in the quarter, putting HS2 firmly on track to reach its target of creating 2,000 new apprentice starts.
HS2 and its supply chain partners are currently recruiting for over 300 live vacancies. For more information about opportunities to work on HS2, visit hs2.org.uk/careers
