HS2 have revealed that over 6,800 people are now working on the project in the West Midlands with the news welcomed by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The vast rail project is seeing massive infrastructure put in place, including the laying of tracks and building both tunnels and bridges. The project has also seen two brand new railway stations built, at ‘Curzon Street’ in Birmingham’s bustling city centre and ‘Interchange’ which is located at Solihull and is close to both the NEC and the airport. 

The huge HS2 workforce includes 539 people who were previously unemployed, as well as 344 apprentices from the West Midlands, some of which have undergone construction skills training funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Funding for rail engineering training has also been put in place by the West Midlands Combined Authority and will be undertaken by the Construction Gateway scheme at Wolverhampton College’s Wellington Road campus in Bilston. The facility features a 40-metre training track and is the very first to offer training on slab track technology in the UK, which can be utilised in the building of high-speed railway lines such as HS2.

Further regional jobs and businesses will be supported via the project’s supply chain. 

Cllr Ian Courts, the WMCA’s portfolio lead for environment, energy and HS2 and leader of Solihull Council, said:

“HS2 will transform transport in Birmingham and the West Midlands but it is about so much more than that. It is critical for our wider success as a region and has already attracted major inward investment creating jobs and growth far beyond the rail and construction sectors.

“These new figures from HS2 show how it is having a positive effect in helping thousands of people from our region into well-paid, skilled jobs and apprenticeships, as well as supporting many more thousands of jobs and businesses through the supply chain.
“I have spoken to some of the new recruits working on the Curzon Street and Interchange stations. It’s really heartening to hear how working on HS2 is having such a positive impact on their lives. The skills and experience they are gaining will set them up for a bright future in construction.”

The region is currently undergoing a £12 billion investment with high-speed rail making up just one element and will also see the new West Midlands Metro extension and the regeneration of hundreds of acres of brownfield land for new housing and commercial properties. The investment is creating a boom in construction with an anticipated 30,000 positions required for the industry over the coming 5 years.

West Midlands Combined Authority will further support the region’s education providers with more construction training courses for young people, providing them with the necessary skills to get well-paid and secure jobs in the industry.  HS2 will bring huge benefits to the region, including a positive effect on the local economy alongside supporting the #WM2041 net-zero carbon target which is detailed in the West Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy which was published in 2021.

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