T Level results: Pride as students offered opportunities on HS2

10 hard-working students from Walsall College have been given a unique chance to work on HS2, following exam success this T Level results day (15 August).

The students, who have successfully achieved T Levels in Construction – Design, Surveying and Planning, all previously completed 45-day industry placements with Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), HS2’s construction partner for the West Midlands, as part of their studies. This accounted for 20 per cent of their final grade.

After passing their T Levels with flying colours, the 10  – will progress into an Apprenticeship role at BBV. They will spend up to five years advancing their studies, while earning a wage supporting the construction of Britain’s new high-speed railway.

The new recruits will join BBV teams based across the West Midlands, who are tasked with delivering a series of bridges, tunnels and viaducts across a 90-kilometre section of the HS2 route. This covers an area from Warwickshire, into Birmingham and up to Staffordshire.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: “It’s great that HS2 is providing talented young people the platform to put the skills they’ve learnt into practice working on one of the country’s most important infrastructure projects.

“It will be a valuable start to their careers in construction and a unique chance to develop their skills even further to progress in the industry, so I congratulate all the students on their achievements.”

18-year-old Chelsea Stonach from Wolverhampton will be based at a BBV site in North Warwickshire, starting a degree apprenticeship in Civil Engineering.

She said: “After two years of hard work, it feels great to have successfully completed my T Level qualification. I’m really excited to take the next step in my career with Balfour Beatty VINCI and begin my degree apprenticeship in civil engineering. I can’t think of a better project than HS2 to start with.”

18-year-old George Spruce from Burntwood will begin a degree apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying at BBV, also based in North Warwickshire.

George added: “Before I started my T-Level course, I wanted to pursue a career in architecture and design. This changed throughout the two years I was studying, as it opened my eyes to quantity surveying – an area of construction I have a real passion for. My placement at BBV confirmed this was the path I wanted to take. Now I can’t wait to start my degree apprenticeship in this field.”

Jacob White, an 18-year-old from Sutton Coldfield, is set to begin a Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship with BBV, based in Coleshill.

He said: “Construction runs in the family, so it’s great to be able to continue the same tradition! My T Level course was the perfect introduction to the industry, which also included a work placement at BBV. The past two years convinced me that joining Balfour Beatty VINCI is the perfect place to launch my career from.”

Julie Venn-Morton, HS2’s Senior Legacy Manager covering the West Midlands, said: “All learning journeys are different, with T Levels offering a fantastic alternative to more traditional routes in preparing young people for the world of work and helping them get into the industry.

“T Levels really do work and provide a great stepping stone to a career. Congratulations to all the students – we’re delighted as they now begin apprenticeships with BBV, coming on board to help us build Britain’s new railway.”

BBV was among the first companies to support the Construction – Design, Surveying and Planning T-Level when it was introduced in 2020.

Since 2020, a total of 24 students have progressed to apprenticeships with BBV after completing their T Levels.

The construction of HS2 continues at pace between the West Midlands and London, with the project now supporting more than 31,000 jobs – including through apprenticeships, graduate opportunities and by helping people into work.

Once operational, HS2 will improve connections between London and the West Midlands, with trains running further north on existing lines. The new high-speed railway will create quicker and far more reliable journeys, driving economic growth while freeing up space for more local trains on the most congested part of the existing West Coast Main Line.