The eight-week programme has run for four years, and provides students in local areas with insight into working in the industry
The HS2 paid placement programme was developed by Balfour Beatty VINCI, the construction partner for HS2.
The programme gives university students first-hand practical work experience in roles associated with their line of study, to help them gain employment more easily after graduation.
Thirty-two students were chosen for the 2025 programme
The students come from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, and Coventry University.
This week marks the first week of the programme, with students working on placements throughout the engineering, quality assurance, procurement, IT, commercial, and finance and environment departments.
One of the students, Anastasia Docherty, from Leamington Spa, said: “I’m really excited to join Balfour Beatty VINCI over the summer months and learn as many new skills as I can. Being part of such a large infrastructure project like HS2 is a great opportunity for any student looking to get an insight into the construction industry.”
Another, Malaika Fatima, from Ward End in Birmingham, said: “I live close to a HS2 construction site in Washwood Heath and I see the progress being made on a daily basis. This has inspired me to join Balfour Beatty VINCI’s summer placement programme, as a way of kick-starting my career and learning more about the HS2 project.”
“Providing the perfect opportunity for students themselves to earn and learn”
HS2 is currently supporting 33,000 jobs, with a third of these located in the West Midlands. 710 of these are on an apprenticeship, while 1,870 locals that were previously out of work have secured their employment.
Julie Venn-Morton, HS2’s senior skills & inclusion manager for the West Midlands, said: “We’re exceptionally proud of the partnerships we’ve formed with our local universities and how we’re working together to help home-grown talent thrive.
“For the fourth year running, we’ve opened the gates to our construction sites and offices to enable a new cohort of engineers, technicians and digital specialists to hone their skills and make a valuable contribution to HS2 – the UK’s biggest transport infrastructure project.”
Naomi Bates, skills, education and employment business partner at Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming our new students this summer, of which a third are women and some are returners from previous summer placements.
“The programme delivers benefits for HS2 by exposing us to new and exciting ideas, while providing the perfect opportunity for students themselves to earn and learn as part of a world-leading infrastructure project.”
