Marvin OnumonuHigh Speed 2 (HS2) Ltd has helped more than 5,000 unemployed people find work on Britain’s largest construction project.
Latest figures showed that 199 jobseekers joined HS2 between January and March 2025, bringing the total to 5,023.
HS2 set out its skills, employment and education strategy in 2018, aiming to address skills shortages and support those living along the route.
Now, seven years on, 33,000 people are working on the project.
HS2 Ltd and its main contractors have set up training academies and bootcamps with education providers and the supply chain to help local people get the skills needed for construction roles.
The company has worked with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), local authorities and employment support services to fast-track people into training and jobs, with some starting work in just two weeks.
In the West Midlands, around 10,000 people are working on HS2, including 1,870 who were previously unemployed.
Mark Wild, CEO at HS2 Ltd, said: “Our targeted focus on training and upskilling has helped over 5,000 unemployed people to secure work on HS2.
“This is a significant achievement and a further indication of the economic prize that HS2 brings.
“In my first few months, I’m proud to have met with some of the men and women that have benefitted from our employment programmes.”
Wild added: “HS2 is creating new opportunities for people now, and that will continue in the years ahead.”
