HS2 employment still growing

Despite the rephasing of works at Euston and on the West Midlands to Crewe section of the railway, HS2’s workforce grew by 1,185 for the period April to June, taking the number of people supporting HS2’s construction to over 29,700.

The investment in training, and getting people ready for work, saw a further 307 candidates who were previously unemployed secure jobs with HS2’s construction partners and wider supply chain. As a result, 3,528 people have now transitioned from being unemployed to securing new careers with long-term prospects.

The increase in the workforce reflects the significant progress made on HS2 over the last year, with the project reaching peak construction activity and huge civil engineering structures taking shape. Construction is now well underway at over 350 active sites along phase one of the route.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: "HS2 is more than just a railway – it's powering up the British supply chain and offering thousands of high-skilled job opportunities across the UK.

"As the project continues to develop at pace, I take great pride in seeing the benefits of HS2 come to life by growing our economy, kickstarting careers and soon connecting our biggest cities."

HS2 has placed a strong focus on addressing national skills shortages. Training academies along the route of the railway, and partnerships with local and national training providers are helping to create the skilled workforce needed to deliver HS2 and major infrastructure projects of the future.

A further 79 UK-based businesses won work in the period supplying goods, services and materials to support HS2’s construction, taking the total number of British businesses in the supply chain to 3,092. Opportunities for small and medium sized enterprises also grew, with an additional 65 companies awarded contracts.