HS2 hits 500 apprentice milestone with BBV

Formwork training and site roles support HS2 construction milestone

Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), the main construction partner for HS2 in the West Midlands, has welcomed its 500th apprentice, marking a major milestone in the high-speed rail project’s skills and training programme.

Kordell Carty, a 26-year-old from Aston, is now working as an apprentice formworker on the River Blythe bypass bridge site in Warwickshire. The structure is part of the infrastructure allowing HS2’s route to pass over a brook and bypass channel.

Formworking plays a key role in temporary and permanent concrete construction, especially in the creation of foundations, bridge decks, and retaining structures. The trade is essential in delivering large-scale concrete works, particularly on high-profile infrastructure schemes such as HS2.

Kordell, who previously worked in residential construction, said: “The highlight of working on HS2 is being able to see first-hand the progress of the project. I’ve never worked on a site of this scale, and I was intrigued to see what it would be like.”

He is completing a Level 2 apprenticeship while also attending BBV’s Warwickshire-based training hub, which opened in 2023 to deliver steel fixing and formwork training. The hub was set up in response to a regional skills gap and has already supported over 30 local jobseekers into construction careers.

BBV's 100th apprentice, Benjamin Richards-Moss, has since secured a permanent role as a training coordinator, supporting operations at BBV’s Skills Academy in North Warwickshire. He described HS2 as: “One of the best things anyone can do. The project is exciting and will transform the local economy and enhance social mobility.”

Across HS2 and its supply chain, 1,865 apprentices have already been employed, with the project aiming to reach at least 2,000 apprenticeships over its lifetime. The wider HS2 programme now supports over 31,000 jobs, including graduate trainees and roles for those returning to work through dedicated employment support programmes.

Julie Venn-Morton, senior skills and inclusion manager at HS2, said: “Apprenticeships are crucial to delivering HS2 and are integral to our lasting skills legacy. We’re proud to see BBV reach this milestone and to welcome Kordell to the team.”