HS2 has boosted the economy by employing over 5,000 formerly unemployed people.

New data released by HS2 showed that 119 job seekers joined the company between January and March this year, bringing their total to 5,023.

Back in 2018, HS2 began its Skills, Employment and Education Strategy, which aimed to address skill shortages and invest in future talent so that people could start new careers.

Seven years on, 33,000 people now work for HS2. Around 10,000 people in the West Midlands work for HS2, with 1,870 previously unemployed people having secured a job. In the London region, 1,339 people have joined the 9,000 supporting HS2 work.

Their aim to tackle localised unemployment has been a success, working with education providers to create dedicated training and bootcamps to equip new employees with the skills needed to begin a new career.

To help identify those most in need of work, they work with the Department for Work and Pensions to support their employment.

There are now faster training routes so that some people can secure a job in around two weeks.

“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. HS2 is creating new opportunities for people now, and that will continue in the  years ahead.”

Mark Wild, CEO at HS2 Ltd