Balfour Beatty: Growing Workforce Supports UK Infrastructure
Balfour Beatty's people-first approach shows how early-career talent and a strong energy pipeline can underpin the delivery of critical infrastructure
Infrastructure delivery depends on people as much as capital. As governments commit to energy, transport and nuclear programmes, contractors face a persistent question: where will the skilled workforce come from?
Balfour Beatty offers one answer. The group has committed to growing its UK workforce from approximately 14,000 to 16,000 over two years, with early-career routes at the heart of the plan.
Britain's infrastructure ambitions will only be realised if the country has the capacity, capability and skills to deliver them
Scaling up to meet demand
The recruitment drive follows a period of sustained expansion. Balfour Beatty's UK headcount rose from 12,200 to approximately 14,000 over two years.
The planned increase would take growth to more than 30% over four years. The company says this reflects both the strength of the UK infrastructure pipeline and the skilled jobs needed to deliver it.
The wider footprint is significant. Balfour Beatty supports the employment of over 4 million people through around 7,200 UK supply chain partners, 64% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises.
In other words, workforce planning, in other words, cannot stop at a contractor's own payroll.
"Britain's infrastructure ambitions will only be realised if the country has the capacity, capability and skills to deliver them,” says Philip Hoare, Balfour Beatty Group’s CEO.
"Expanding our workforce by 2,000 is a clear vote of confidence in the market. 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 as a foundation
Apprentices, graduates, interns and trainees already account for approximately 9% of Balfour Beatty's UK workforce.
Around half of the new intake, roughly 1,000 positions, is expected to come through these routes. On current projections, that would lift early-career employees to approximately 12.7% of the UK workforce.
The early-career strategy rests on several routes:
- Apprenticeships that let people earn while they learn
- Graduate programmes that build technical expertise
- Internships that introduce students to live projects
- Trainee positions that open pathways into skilled roles
- Support for the Government's ambition to put technical and academic pathways on a more equal footing
Balfour Beatty is also a member of The 5% Club, a movement of employers committed to providing earn-and-learn positions. The result is clearer routes into long-term infrastructure careers at a time when the sector urgently needs new talent.
Energy as a growth engine
Energy is a key driver of the order book. Balfour Beatty has reported 24% revenue growth in UK Power Transmission over a recent half-year period.
It now holds a £2.1bn (US$2.8bn) order book in that segment, with a further identified pipeline of £6bn to £8bn (US$8.1bn to US$10.8bn).
Programmes such as Hinkley Point C, the UK's first new nuclear power station in a generation, show the scale of technical capability that such work demands.
- Around 26,000 employees across the UK, US and Asia
- Over 100 years of delivering landmark projects worldwide
- 9% of its workforce in apprenticeship, graduate and sponsored student roles
- Around 7,200 UK supply chain partners
- A £2.1bn (US$2.8bn) UK Power Transmission order book
The commitment has attracted political support.
"This is exactly what we want to see – a big British company backing Britain and creating 2,000 more jobs,” Jonathan Reynolds, UK Business Secretary said at the time of the announcement.
"We've got a huge amount of work to do to get growth in every postcode over the next few years. So having British firms investing in people here, and training up the next generation to do those jobs, is really good news."
Balfour Beatty's key partners:
NG Bailey
Balfour Beatty's 50:50 partner in the Balfour Beatty Bailey joint venture, which delivers the electrical package at Hinkley Point C.
VINCI
Balfour Beatty's joint venture partner in Balfour Beatty VINCI, which delivers HS2's Area North civils works.
Laing O'Rourke
A fellow member of the Programme Alliance with Balfour Beatty for the main civil works at Sizewell C nuclear power station.
Bouygues Travaux Publics
The third member of the Sizewell C alliance alongside Balfour Beatty and Laing O'Rourke.
A design partner on HS2 through the Mott MacDonald SYSTRA Design Joint Venture, which forms part of Balfour Beatty VINCI's design team.
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Philip Hoare
Group Chief Executive
