Apprenticeship Week: New training placements announced to mark apprenticeship week, including HS2

Places are being offered by companies in industries including shipyards, construction and energy.

Navantia UK, the new owner of Harland & Wolff, set out a plan to hire 500 industrial apprentices by 2030, starting with 90 to be recruited this year.

The apprentices will be at the company’s four shipyards – Appledore (Devon), Arnish (Isle of Lewis), Belfast and Methil (Fife).

Jobs will vary from welding and pipe fitting to computer-aided design and administration.

Many of them will be working on the £1.6 billion Fleet Solid Support programme, building three supply ships for the Royal Navy.

Centrica announced 500 new apprenticeships in 2026 as part of a two-year programme, including hands-on training in the latest low-carbon technologies including heat pumps, EV chargers, solar panels and battery storage.

Apprentices will have access to four of Centrica’s academies plus a new state of the art £35 million Net Zero Training Academy in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, opening in May.

Chris O’Shea, chief executive of Centrica, said: “Creating the well-paid, unionised jobs needed to drive the energy transition is one of the biggest tasks facing our industry today.

“That’s why we’re committed to hiring a new apprentice for every day of this decade and the 500 new roles announced today is part of that.

“By investing in new apprenticeships and state-of-the-art training facilities, we’re not only setting a new benchmark for industry training – we’re thinking long term – driving the innovation needed for a just transition and to build a skilled workforce fit for the future.

“Training more engineers in green skills is a win for everyone: it will make the energy transition more achievable, while giving our people the expertise and confidence to deliver the first-class service our customers rightly expect.”

Minister for industry Chris McDonald said: “Our clean energy mission is sparking a boom in demand for skilled engineers, supporting thousands of good, well-paid jobs across the UK.

“Centrica’s 500 new apprenticeships represent the next generation of clean energy workers powering Britain into the future, equipping them with the skills to deliver the energy transition.”

HS2 apprenticeship vacancies

HS2 said more than 30 apprenticeship vacancies will go live today to help support delivery of Britain’s high-speed railway.

Earlier this year, the company announced that the project had exceeded its goal of creating 2,000 apprenticeships.

Thames Water opened applications for 145 apprenticeships, saying they were guaranteed employment once they successfully complete their qualification.

College and degree level apprenticeships are available including roles in engineering, project management, HGV driving, finance, repair and maintenance, data analytics and laboratory scientist.

Housebuilder Barratt Redrow announced 207 new apprenticeship vacancies across its business.

Chief executive David Thomas said: “Young people joining our workforce want practical skills, financial security and careers where they can see the impact of their work.

“As the industry faces a growing skills gap alongside increasing demand to build, investing in the next generation through skilled apprenticeships that lead to long-term careers, is not just good for construction, but essential for the future of UK housebuilding.”

The Government announced reforms to apprenticeships this weekend aimed at speeding up the system and making it easier for young people to train for skilled jobs.