Creating skilled jobs and supporting communities across Buckinghamshire

The Chiltern Tunnel

HS2 roles in Buckinghamshire cover a wide range of skills, with jobs available for construction workers and site engineers, ecologists and IT specialists, project managers and designers, among others. HS2 is Europe’s largest infrastructure project and it is due to continue into the 2030s as the railway heads north, meaning that many of these roles are long-term jobs.

Align, a joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, is responsible for delivering a 13.4-mile section of the line which travels from the outskirts of London into Buckinghamshire. The contractor plans to hire 1,200 people with a focus on upskilling those who are currently unemployed. Align will also employ over 100 apprentices.

Skills legacy

Working with HS2 Ltd – the team leading the design and construction of the railway – both Align and EKFB are delivering a programme of skills, education and employment activities to meet the requirements of building the railway. This will leave a highly skilled and diverse workforce as a legacy that will serve Britain for the future.

From learning to operate dumper trucks and excavators, to boosting management skills, a wide range of training opportunities are on offer. EKFB, for example, has trained hundreds of people over the past couple of years in partnership with local education providers close to its sites, including Buckinghamshire College Group.

Meanwhile, EKFB is currently recruiting for 11 new apprentice roles on HS2 which will be based in Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The roles offer opportunities in civil engineering, business administration, project controls, commercial and procurement.

Watch our new video about HS2 apprentices

The next section of the line, which runs for 50 miles through Buckinghamshire and three other neighbouring counties, is being constructed by Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall (EKFB). EKFB currently supports 900 roles in the area – and many more in the local supply chain. They are looking to recruit 2,500 skilled operatives and have hundreds of office-based jobs coming up in the next few years.

To see all of HS2’s current opportunities and to apply, visit hs2.org.uk/careers. Also, if you are looking to start or develop your career in the construction industry, you can meet with representatives from Align and EKFB at the Bucks Skills Show on Wednesday 9 March at Westcott Venture Park.

Uncovering Buckinghamshire’s past

To preserve the rich history along the railway’s route, HS2 is delivering the country’s largest ever archaeology project. Most recently, buildings and artefacts – including over 1,200 coins – have been uncovered at Fleet Marston, near Aylesbury, indicating that a bustling Roman town was based there.

Another exciting find in Buckinghamshire was a rare set of Roman stone statues. The lead archaeologist described the statues, which were discovered on the grounds of a Norman church in Stoke Mandeville, as a “once in a lifetime” find.

Watch a video about the remarkable Roman busts at St Mary’s

In July 2021, archaeologists also discovered a remarkably well-preserved carved wooden figure in a water- logged ditch in a field in Twyford.

Expert analysis determined that the figure is from the early Roman period. Analysis will continue at all these sites, providing even more fascinating insights into the everyday lives of Bucks residents 2,000 years ago.

Community funding

In addition to the excavation work, HS2’s Community and Environment
Fund (CEF) has contributed approximately £7,000 to the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. The funds are being used to digitise the society’s printed archive, which will be made freely available to the public.

This is just one of around 60 projects near to the line of route in
Buckinghamshire that has successfully applied to either the CEF or HS2’sBusiness and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) – totalling £3.3 million. Both funds offer grants of up to £250,000 and are managed by Groundwork UK, an independent charity.

Other projects benefiting from CEF and BLEF include the refurbishment
of community spaces in Hazlemere and Amersham, the construction
of a memorial garden in Chalfont St Peter, and the creation of a new
artificial pitch at John Colet School in Wendover. Visit: https://www.hs2.org.uk/in-your-area/community-funding/ for more information or to apply.

Stay informed about HS2

We realise that our work will affect residents, which is why there are many ways for people to stay informed and have their voices heard. You can receive regular updates about the project – including notifications of upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what is being done to make it less disruptive, by signing up at:

www.hs2.org.uk/buckinghamshire-and-oxfordshire

Anyone with queries about the new railway can contact the HS2 Helpdesk all day, every day. Call 08081 434 434 or email: hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.