A Birmingham teenager has just become the 2,000th apprentice to be recruited by HS2.

Mohammed Sharif, aged 19, is from Bordesley Green in Birmingham, and lives just minutes away from the enormous construction site on the approaches to the new HS2 station being built at Curzon Street. After seeing HS2 under construction, he decided on a career in civil engineering, and just two years later, he is part of the HS2 construction team in his home city.

Mohammed applied to BMet college to study for a T-Level in Construction and secured a work placement with HS2’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI, who offered him a civil engineering apprenticeship after finishing his studies.

As well as marking Mohammed Sharif’s appointment as one of over 2,000 people to have secured an apprenticeship with HS2, the programme has also helped over 5,000 unemployed people into employment.

Between September and December 2025, HS2 recruited 99 apprentices, bringing the total on the project to 2,032 and surpassing the target set at the start of the project.

In May 2025, HS2 also passed its target of recruiting 5,000 unemployed people, and that figure now stands at 5,645.

According to a new report from HS2 Ltd., Mind the Skills Gap, recruitment by HS2 of apprentices and the unemployed has added £315 million to the UK economy. That figure is expected to grow as construction of HS2 moves from major civil engineering projects to installing the railway and associated systems. These additional career opportunities will provide a pool of highly skilled workers for the future.

Last October, 21 apprentices and graduates started their two-year training programme.

“Hitting the 2,000-apprenticeship milestone is a significant achievement, and I’m delighted that local people along the HS2 route are the ones benefiting from our investment in future talent. Upskilling young people and the unemployed delivers long-term benefits for individuals and the economy. We’re building a pipeline of skilled workers that will support the UK’s growth for a generation.“

Mark Wild, Chief Executive at HS2 Ltd