Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), HS2’s construction partner for the West Midlands, has marked a significant achievement by welcoming its 500th apprentice, Kordell Carty.
Kordell, a 26-year-old resident of Aston, is embarking on a new career path as an apprentice formworker, contributing to the delivery of Britain’s new high-speed railway. His previous experience includes working on house-building sites and assisting with loft and garage conversion projects.
Seeking new opportunities after a slowdown in work during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, Kordell learned about the formworking apprenticeship through a friend involved in a steel fixing apprenticeship on HS2. The scale of the HS2 project appealed to him as a contrast to his previous house-building work.
Despite having no prior experience in formworking – the creation of foundation elements for temporary and permanent concrete structures – Kordell was drawn to the prestigious nature of the HS2 project.
Currently undertaking a level 2 apprenticeship qualification, Kordell is based at the site of HS2’s River Blythe bypass bridge. Working for Galldris, a part of the BBV supply chain, he is part of a 35-strong team constructing a structure that will carry the high-speed line over a brook and a bypass channel of the River Blythe in Warwickshire.
Kordell shared his enthusiasm, stating:
“The highlight of working on HS2 is being able to see first-hand the progress of the project. I’m taking in as much as possible – I’ve never worked on a construction site of this scale, and I was intrigued to see what it would be like! “My colleagues are great, and I really enjoy working onsite. In the future, I’m looking forward to seeing the finished railway and being able to say that I helped to build it.”
Alongside his on-the-job training, Kordell attends BBV’s dedicated apprenticeship training hub in Warwickshire. This hub was established to address a skills gap within the project and the wider construction industry, playing a crucial role in ensuring workers are accredited and ready for their roles in the construction programme. Since opening in 2023, the facility has provided steel fixing and formwork apprenticeship training, supporting over 30 local jobseekers.
BBV’s 100th apprentice, Benjamin Richards-Moss, based at the joint-venture’s Skills Academy in North Warwickshire, has successfully secured a permanent position on HS2 after completing his business administration apprenticeship. Now working as a Training Coordinator, Benjamin plays a key administrative role supporting the Skills Academy. He commented:
“Working for HS2 is one of the best things anyone can do. My advice would be to talk to people around you, get to know what the project is about and this way you will build a great support network. “The project is very exciting, and I believe it will transform the local economy and enhance social mobility between Birmingham and London.”
HS2 is expected to underpin the construction industry for years to come, creating opportunities for thousands of newly skilled individuals. To date, 1,865 apprentices have joined HS2 and its supply chain, putting the project on track to meet its target of generating at least 2,000 apprenticeships over its lifetime.
Julie Venn-Morton, Senior Skills and Inclusion Manager at HS2, highlighted the importance of apprenticeships, saying:
“Apprenticeships are crucial in helping us to deliver HS2 and integral to our drive to leave a lasting skills legacy for people in the West Midlands and beyond. “We are very proud to see BBV reach this milestone, which supports our mission to upskill the next generation of construction workers. We wish Kordell a very warm welcome to the project and congratulate Benjamin on successfully securing a permanent role on HS2.”
Currently, HS2’s construction activities support over 31,000 jobs, including apprenticeships, graduate trainees, and roles created through dedicated skills and employment programmes aimed at supporting unemployed individuals back into work.
Once operational, HS2 promises to improve connectivity between London and the West Midlands, with trains continuing further north on existing lines. The new high-speed railway aims to deliver faster and more reliable journeys, stimulate economic growth, and free up capacity on the congested parts of the existing West Coast Main Line for more local train services.
For more information about career and employment opportunities with HS2 and its supply chain partners, please visit hs2.org.uk/careers.
