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Skills, Employment &
Education

Around 34,000 people work across the HS2 programme, with 7,000 working across EKFB's sites and offices.

HS2 is doing more than building a railway - it is creating a legacy of skills, training and employment that will support UK infrastructure for a generation.

At EKFB we are supporting this vision with apprenticeships, training schemes and schools outreach programmes as well as upskilling our workforce.

HS2 is doing more than building a railway - it's creating a legacy of skills, training and employment that will support UK infrastructure for a generation.

Apprenticeships

A key part of our identity is our approach to Apprenticeships – over 250 apprentices have joined our project so far. Working in partnership with The Skills Centre and Sunbelt Rentals, we deliver site-based apprenticeship and pre-employment programmes supporting a range of candidates to move closer to sustained employment through training and employability support. To date more than 200 people have benefitted from these programmes.

Our apprenticeships cover many different areas, including construction, commercial, administration, HR and much more. Our apprentices join the project through our parent company partners Kier and BAM, so please visit their website for details of any apprenticeship opportunities.

Graduates

Graduate vacancies are posted throughout the year, so please check our careers portal for any live positions.

Go to our careers portal

Work experience

For 2026, we are introducing a streamlined and consistent ‘Modern Work Experience’ model designed to give students a high‑quality, engaging and well‑supported experience across our project. The programme will support up to 40 students in total.

Applications for this year's work experience programme are now closed. Please check back soon for details of the 2027 programme!

The EKFB Bicester Skills Centre is a brand-new training and pre-employment facility based in Bicester with an array of training and apprenticeship programmes designed to help local people into jobs on the HS2 project.

The Centre is a partnership between EKFB, HS2, The Skills Centre and Sunbelt Rentals, and offers an exciting apprenticeship programme for up to 50 students every year, as well as a pre-employment programmes help to attract local people into the construction sector. Advanced learning opportunities up to level 7 are also available to up-skill the existing EKFB workforce.

Learn more about Bicester Skills Centre

We are passionate about inspiring young people to come and work in the construction industry, and we run a busy schedule of schools and college outreach events throughout the year to help give our local schools and colleges access to our expert teams and learning resources. Our outreach prioritises young people underrepresented in STEM—including those from lower socio-economic and ethnic minority backgrounds, girls and women, and students with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

With more than 220 education events delivered annually and over 13,000 young people engaged, and the commitment to employability support and lifelong learning, our SEE team truly embodies EKFB’s values and helps lay the foundations for the HS2 project’s lasting legacy.

Across the academic year, our SEE team leads flagship initiatives such as our annual Schools Gala and the SEND Employability Programmes. We also champion the integration of SEND outreach across the industry, providing training that enables other organisations to deliver it effectively. Our engagements include school and college presentations and events, jobs fairs, work experience programmes, mentoring and much more.

A key date in our annual calendar is Making Tracks into Construction, our annual Schools Gala which features exhibits from over 20 of our supply chain partners with a range of experts on hand to speak to students about careers and pathways into construction.

To enquire about schools engagement please contact us.

Click here to learn more about the EKFB annual schools gala

Schools Gala

Making Tracks into Construction: EKFB's Annual Schools Gala

Making Tracks into Construction is EKFB's annual schools gala, welcoming up to 2,000 students to our site near Bicester for last three years, with plans to return this September. The event will include 25 exhibits hosted by our supply chain partners with a range of experts on hand to speak to students about careers and pathways into construction. Activities include driving an articulated dumper truck on simulators and as well as a variety of construction-based challenges.

Bicester Skills Centre

In October 2025 we launched the EKFB Bicester Skills Centre – a brand-new training and pre-employment facility based in Bicester, boasting an array of training and apprenticeship programmes designed to help local people into jobs on HS2.

The Centre is a partnership between EKFB, HS2, The Skills Centre and Sunbelt Rentals, and delivers an exciting apprenticeship programme for up to 50 students every year. In addition to this, its pre-employment programmes help to attract new entrants from the neighbouring communities into the construction sector, and advanced learning opportunities up to level 7, are offered to up-skill those already in the workplace.

The Centre’s ideal location accommodates outdoor practical experience, and supplementary classroom-based learning all on the one site. Since opening, the Hub has welcomed learners from across the three counties, supporting local employment institutions and the education sector, particularly in and around Buckinghamshire.