How Costain Is Building Talent Through Apprenticeships

Infrastructure delivery depends on a steady supply of skilled people. Companies that plan for it years in advance tend to be better placed to deliver long-term projects. 

Costain, the UK infrastructure solutions company, recruits apprentices annually across its road, rail, energy, water, and defence and nuclear sectors, offering earn-while-you-learn programmes lasting between 12 and 60 months. 

Its recruitment approach, spanning civil engineering, project management and finance disciplines, illustrates how infrastructure businesses can structure early-career hiring to match the scale and duration of the projects they deliver.

A pipeline built across every sector

Costain recruits apprentices across the full range of its infrastructure activities, reflecting the breadth of disciplines needed to deliver major national projects. 

Costain’s current hiring spans:

• Road and rail infrastructure delivery
• Integrated transport projects
• Energy sector works
• Water sector frameworks
• Defence and nuclear energy programmes

Apprentices work alongside civil, electrical and mechanical engineers as well as quantity surveyors, finance teams and project managers, offering early-careers staff exposure to multiple functions rather than a single role.

“I'm extremely proud to be welcoming a record number of apprentices into Costain. The industry requires more skilled workers than ever to deliver critical infrastructure for a more prosperous, resilient and decarbonised UK, which makes it a hugely exciting time to enter the sector,” says Catherine Duffy, Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Costain. “Our apprentice programme underscores our commitment to offering vocational routes into employment. It is designed to help apprentices earn while they learn and gain qualifications with real-world experience to help them build a meaningful, long-term career.

Investing in skills at Sellafield

One of the clearest examples of Costain's approach in practice is its work at Sellafield's west Cumbria site, where apprentices are gaining experience in engineering, project controls and health and safety through the Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP). 

Costain is delivering critical utilities upgrades there under a minimum nine-year contract worth up to £1bn (US$1.35bn).

The recruitment activity is informed by analysis of historic regional skills gaps, and supports a wider commitment to developing a skilled local labour pool that other businesses in Cumbria can also draw on. 

“Together with Sellafield and our IDP partners, we're committed to offering high-skilled learning and development opportunities for young people in Cumbria and the wider region, supporting a more prosperous, thriving local community and growing the pool of home-grown talent,” says Claire Gallery-Strong, Project Director at Costain. “We're welcoming a fantastic group who will be delivering against the identified skills gaps and be provided with a range of experiences and guidance from senior colleagues to set them up for success.”

How the apprenticeship model works

Costain's apprenticeships combine paid employment with formally recognised training, open to anyone aged 16 or over who is not in full-time education and eligible to work in the UK. 

Apprentices work as fully integrated members of project teams while studying towards nationally recognised qualifications, with programmes available up to degree level.

Beyond apprenticeships, Costain also recruits graduates, interns and university placement students, supported by a dedicated Graduates and Apprentices network for professional development. 

About Costain 

Costain is a UK infrastructure solutions company, delivering critical national infrastructure across road, rail and integrated transport. It also serves the energy, water and defence and nuclear energy sectors. 

The company works with clients including Skanska, Strabag, Southern Water, United Utilities and Sellafield on long-term programmes ranging from high-speed rail tunnelling to strategic water frameworks and nuclear site upgrades.

Headquartered in Maidenhead, England, it is led by Chief Executive Officer Alex Vaughan. 

It reported revenue of £1,045.7m (US$1.41bn) for the year ended 31 December 2025, with adjusted operating profit up 9.3% to £47.1m (US$63.6m). 

In its most recent half-year results, Costain reported revenue of £543.1m (US$733.2m) and a record forward work position of £7bn (US$9.45bn), supporting continued investment in its skills pipeline. 

Costain’s key business partners:

Skanska 

Skanska is a partner in the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture delivering the London tunnels section of HS2. As one of the world's largest construction and development companies, Skanska brings international tunnelling and major-project expertise to the joint venture's delivery of this critical high-speed rail infrastructure.

Strabag

Strabag is the third member of the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture on HS2's London tunnels. A major European construction group, Strabag contributes engineering and civil works capability to the consortium, supporting delivery of one of the UK's largest current rail infrastructure programmes.

Southern Water 

 Southern Water is a client of Costain under long-term AMP8 frameworks, through which Costain delivers strategic water infrastructure. The partnership supports upgrades to water and wastewater networks across Southern Water's operating region, reflecting Costain's role in UK water sector investment cycles.

United Utilities 

United Utilities is another AMP8 framework client of Costain, working together on strategic water infrastructure delivery. The long-term framework structure allows Costain to plan resourcing, including apprentice placements, against a sustained pipeline of water sector projects across United Utilities' region.

Sellafield

Sellafield is the client behind Costain's Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP) contract, worth up to £1bn (US$1.35bn) over a minimum nine years. Costain delivers critical utilities upgrades at the west Cumbria site while supporting Sellafield's commitment to regional skills development and apprenticeship growth.