Balfour Beatty to add 2,000 UK workers over two years, half targeted at early-career recruits

# What happened Balfour Beatty announced plans to add about 2,000 employees to its UK workforce over the next two years. The company said around half of those positions — roughly 1,000 roles — will be filled through apprenticeships, graduate programmes, internships and trainee posts aimed at early-career talent.

# Why the hiring is happening The firm links the expansion to rising demand for infrastructure work, particularly energy transmission. Balfour Beatty reported 24% revenue growth in the first half of 2026 and stated it currently holds a £2.1 billion UK Power Transmission order book, with a further identified pipeline of £6–8 billion.

# Workforce targets and composition

# Leadership and government response Philip Hoare, Balfour Beatty's chief executive, framed the hiring as necessary capacity and skills investment to deliver future projects. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the announcement as an example of a large British company creating jobs and training people for infrastructure work.

# Wider context The hiring drive is part of a wider wave of corporate recruitment and training initiatives aimed at tackling youth disengagement. Office for National Statistics figures cited in the coverage put the number of 16–24-year-olds who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) at 981,000 for April–June 2026. Other large employers making significant recruitment or training commitments include Nissan, McLaren, Domino's and Marks & Spencer.

# What this means for candidates and communities

• Early-career candidates: There will be a notable number of entry-level, apprenticeship and trainee opportunities within a major contractor focused on power and infrastructure.
• Local labour markets: Expansion of the workforce for large infrastructure contracts can create roles across construction, engineering and related supply chains.
• Policy and skills: The announcement aligns with broader industry and government interest in increasing apprenticeship and placement opportunities to reduce youth disengagement.

# Bottom line Balfour Beatty is expanding its UK workforce by about 2,000 over two years, with a clear emphasis on bringing in early-career talent through structured programmes. The move is underpinned by a strong power-transmission pipeline and reflects broader industry activity to create entry routes for young people into infrastructure careers.