Efforts to increase its workforce signify a ramp-up in the global infrastructure group’s UK growth, with staff numbers increasing from 12,200 at the end of 2023 to approximately 14,000 at the end of last year. 

By the end of next year, Balfour Beatty would expect its UK workforce to have increased by over 30% in four years. 

At present, the group also supports the employment of roughly four million people via its network of approximately 7,200 UK supply chain partners, with 64% of them being SMEs.

In the initial six months of this year, the group delivered 24% revenue growth in UK Power Transmission and now has a £2.1 billion UK Power Transmission order book, with a further pipeline of £6bn to £8bn. 

Philip Hoare, group chief executive at Balfour Beatty, said: “Britain’s infrastructure ambitions will only be realised if the country has the capacity, capability and skills to deliver them.

“Expanding our workforce by 2,000 is a clear vote of confidence in the market.”
 
Hoare added: “It shows the scale of opportunity ahead and our commitment to investing in the people, projects and technical expertise that will power Britain’s future.”

Early-career talent will form a key component of the recruitment drive with apprentices, graduates, interns and trainees currently making up roughly 9% of the group’s UK workforce. 

Roughly 50% of the new intake - around 1,000 roles - are anticipated to come via early-career routes, such as apprenticeships, graduate programmes, internships and trainee roles. 

Early-career employees would rise to roughly 12.7% of Balfour Beatty’s UK workforce by the end of next year, according to current forecasts. 

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This is exactly what we want to see – a big British company backing Britain and creating 2,000 more jobs.

“We’ve got a huge amount of work to do to get growth in every postcode over the next few years.”

Reynolds added: “So having British firms investing in people here, and training up the next generation to do those jobs, is really good news.”