--- title: "Balfour Beatty Plans 2,000 More UK Jobs by 2027 | Metaintro" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/balfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-09-23T16:03:17.000Z" modified: "2026-10-02T19:49:47.951Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [News](/blog/tag/news)[Hiring](/blog/tag/hiring)[Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs)[Engineering](/blog/tag/engineering)[Education](/blog/tag/education) # Balfour Beatty Plans 2,000 More UK Jobs by 2027, and About Half Are Expected to Go to Apprentices, Graduates and Trainees Balfour Beatty plans 2,000 more UK jobs by 2027, with about 1,000 through early career routes. What each apprentice and graduate route needs and how to apply. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [September 23, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/09)Updated October 2, 202613 min read ![A new electricity substation with steel lattice gantries and cable drums in green countryside](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10330.jpg) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Balfour%20Beatty%20Plans%202%2C000%20More%20UK%20Jobs%20by%202027%2C%20and%20About%20Half%20Are%20Expected%20to%20Go%20to%20Apprentices%2C%20Graduates%20and%20Trainees&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Balfour%20Beatty%20Plans%202%2C000%20More%20UK%20Jobs%20by%202027%2C%20and%20About%20Half%20Are%20Expected%20to%20Go%20to%20Apprentices%2C%20Graduates%20and%20Trainees&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates&title=Balfour%20Beatty%20Plans%202%2C000%20More%20UK%20Jobs%20by%202027%2C%20and%20About%20Half%20Are%20Expected%20to%20Go%20to%20Apprentices%2C%20Graduates%20and%20Trainees](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates&title=Balfour%20Beatty%20Plans%202%2C000%20More%20UK%20Jobs%20by%202027%2C%20and%20About%20Half%20Are%20Expected%20to%20Go%20to%20Apprentices%2C%20Graduates%20and%20Trainees)[mailto:?subject=Balfour%20Beatty%20Plans%202%2C000%20More%20UK%20Jobs%20by%202027%2C%20and%20About%20Half%20Are%20Expected%20to%20Go%20to%20Apprentices%2C%20Graduates%20and%20Trainees&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates](mailto:?subject=Balfour%20Beatty%20Plans%202%2C000%20More%20UK%20Jobs%20by%202027%2C%20and%20About%20Half%20Are%20Expected%20to%20Go%20to%20Apprentices%2C%20Graduates%20and%20Trainees&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fbalfour-beatty-2000-uk-jobs-apprentices-graduates) The biggest contractor in Britain wants [2,000 more people](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/) on its UK payroll by the end of 2027, and around half of those places are expected to go to people at the very start of their careers. For a school leaver, a career changer or a new graduate, that makes this a sizeable way into infrastructure work, and one with a clear timetable. At [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) we read hiring pledges like this one against the employer's own careers pages, because the pledge tells you how many people a company wants while the programme pages tell you whether you qualify, what you would study and how long it takes. Here is what the plan covers, what each entry route asks of you and how to put yourself forward. ## What Exactly Is Balfour Beatty Promising? The group expects its UK headcount to rise from [approximately 14,000 to 16,000](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article) over the next two years. The starting point sits at the end of 2025, when the UK workforce stood at [about 14,000](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/). Measured from the end of 2023, when its UK workforce was [about 12,000](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article), the company expects growth of [more than 30% in four years](https://projectscot.com/2026/09/balfour-beatty-commits-to-major-uk-recruitment-drive/) by the end of 2027, which it puts down to the strength of the UK infrastructure pipeline and the skilled jobs needed to deliver it. It is worth being clear about what the number is. It is a plan for net growth in headcount, not a list of vacancies posted today, and it covers the UK business only. The company describes the wider group as having [around 26,000 employees](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/media-centre/latest/balfour-beatty-2026-half-year-results/) across the UK, the US and Asia. Its most recent accounts, for the 2025 calendar year, put global headcount at [19,290](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/), so the two group figures differ. The hiring plan is about Britain alone. The locations are spread out. The company is headquartered in London, and its UK office network includes [Derby, Glasgow, Rotherham and Warrington](https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2026/09/23/balfour-beatty-in-vote-of-confidence-2000-job-plan). The careers team is candid that where you end up [depends on the role or project](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/careers-at-balfour-beatty/) you apply for, and that some roles require travel. ## How Many of the New Jobs Are for Early Career Starters? Around half of the new intake, [approximately 1,000 positions](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article), is expected to come through apprenticeships, graduate programmes, internships and trainee positions. That is a wider group than the headline phrase apprentices and graduates suggests, since interns and trainees count inside [the same half](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article). Early career staff already make up [about 9 per cent](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/) of the UK workforce, and the company projects that share rising to about 12.7 per cent by the end of 2027. In plain terms, a bigger slice of a bigger workforce will be people who are still training. > Around half of the new intake, [approximately 1,000 positions](https://projectscot.com/2026/09/balfour-beatty-commits-to-major-uk-recruitment-drive/), is expected to come through apprenticeships, graduate programmes, internships and trainee positions. ## Why Is Balfour Beatty Hiring Now? A big part of the answer is electricity. UK power transmission revenue rose by [24 per cent in the first half of 2026](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/), with an order book of £2.1bn and a further identified pipeline worth between £6bn and £8bn. That is grid work, the building and upgrading of the network that carries electricity across the country. The results for the first half of the year back that up. The half year statement shows the support services division lifting profit from operations to [£66 million](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/media-centre/latest/balfour-beatty-2026-half-year-results/) from £46 million a year earlier, driven by strong growth in power transmission. The group order book stood at [£22.9 billion](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/media-centre/latest/balfour-beatty-2026-half-year-results/) at the half year. There is a longer thread here too. The company won a place as one of 10 preferred bidders on the [SSEN Transmission electricity framework](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/) in 2023, and had started early work on nine electricity transmission projects in northern Scotland under it. The company links the expansion to meeting the government's [£750bn infrastructure plan](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article). The company has also flagged a problem it needs to solve. It had previously identified [skills shortages](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/) as a major issue for its UK operations, making recruitment, retention and training priorities. A company short of skills that decides to train people itself is exactly the kind of employer a newcomer should be talking to. ## What Apprenticeships Does Balfour Beatty Offer, and What Do You Need to Get In? This is where the careers pages give you far more than the announcement. The [apprenticeship programme page](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/) lists routes in business support and admin, civil and mechanical engineering, construction management, digital engineering, electrician, finance, health and safety, highways maintenance, IT and data support, plant maintenance, planning, procurement and quantity surveying. There are [four levels](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/), and the entry bar rises with each one. - **Intermediate.** There are no formal entry requirements, although aptitude tests may be needed for trade roles. You could leave with [an NVQ Level 2](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/), a Level 2 Diploma and Level 2 Maths and English, and the programme typically lasts two years. - **Advanced.** You generally need [three GCSEs at grades 9 to 4](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/) in English, Maths and a Science, or a completed intermediate apprenticeship may be accepted. You could finish with [an NVQ Level 3](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/), and the route typically lasts two to four years. - **Higher.** You typically need [at least two A Levels](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/) at grades A* to C plus five GCSEs including English, Maths and a Science, or a completed advanced apprenticeship may be accepted. It can lead to an HNC, HND or a Foundation Degree and typically lasts [around three years](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/). - **Degree and graduate apprenticeships.** You typically need [three A Levels or four Highers](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/) plus five GCSEs, or a completed advanced apprenticeship in England or modern apprenticeship in Scotland may be accepted. You could finish with a full university degree, and it typically lasts [four to five years](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/). Across every level, the company says it will [pay for your college fees](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/) and offers up to 25 days of annual leave, a pension and the option to join its share plan. Degree apprenticeship schemes run across England, while graduate apprenticeship schemes are available in Scotland, so the name of the route changes depending on which side of the border you live. ## What Is an Apprentice Legally Owed While Training? The company describes its apprentice pay as [a competitive salary](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/) but does not publish figures, so the legal floor is the useful benchmark. In England, an apprentice is an employee who earns a wage and holiday pay, and gets at least [20% of normal working hours](https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/pay-and-conditions-for-apprentices) for training and study linked to the role. To start one in England you need to be [16 or over](https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/pay-and-conditions-for-apprentices) and not in full time education, and apprenticeships can take from 8 months to 6 years depending on their level. The minimum wage rules set a lower [apprentice rate](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates) for apprentices under 19 and for older apprentices in their first year. The official worked example shows an apprentice aged 21 in the first year of the apprenticeship is entitled to a [minimum hourly rate of £8](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates), and once that same apprentice has finished the first year the minimum rises to £12.71 an hour. Treat those as the legal minimum, not a salary estimate. When you get to interview, ask what the role pays in year one and year two. > The official example shows a first year apprentice aged 21 is entitled to a [minimum hourly rate of £8](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates), so ask what the role actually pays before you accept. ## What Do the Graduate Schemes Ask For? Graduates choose between a business scheme and a technical one. Both need [at least a 2:2 degree](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/graduates/). Business graduates ideally hold a business related subject, while technical graduates need a degree in engineering, construction, mathematics, software engineering or an environmental subject that relates to the vacancy. Each has a [two year formal development programme](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/graduates/) at its core, and graduate programmes typically last [between two and five years](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/graduates/) in total, depending on the programme and your progress. The likely payoff is a professional qualification. The company pays for study with [professional bodies including the Institution of Civil Engineers](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/graduates/), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building on the technical side, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development on the business side. Graduates can also switch roles during the programme, which is useful if you are not yet sure whether site management or commercial work suits you better. If your degree does not match, the page says another scheme may suit you, so check the whole list before ruling yourself out. That flexibility is worth knowing about in [a tough market for new graduates](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/entry-level-grads-any-paycheck-brutal-market-2026). ## Are There Internships and Placements for Students? Yes, and these placements are the closest match to the internships named in the pledge. The [industry placements page](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/industry-placements/) describes two routes. [Summer placements](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/industry-placements/) typically run for 8 weeks and are paid. Year in Industry placements are for degree students and sit between years of study. Placement areas include construction and project management, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, design, commercial and quantity surveying, sustainability, and business support such as HR, finance and IT. The company prefers your degree to line up with the placement but welcomes applications from a variety of backgrounds. A placement is also a low risk way to test whether you like site work before you commit to a graduate scheme. ## How Do You Apply, and When? Start with the [early careers hub](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/explore-early-careers), which says early careers opportunities are now live and that roles are being released throughout the recruitment period. If nothing near you is listed yet, that is normal. Check back rather than assuming the door is closed. Once in, early careers starters join a [shared two year development programme](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/explore-early-careers), which brings apprentices, graduates and trainees together and includes two residentials in the Lake District. That shared programme is useful to know when you write your application, since you would be training alongside people on other routes. Experienced workers have their own route through the [main careers site](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/careers-at-balfour-beatty/), which highlights design and engineering, operational specialists and project management, and has a separate Armed Forces section. Roles outside the early careers routes are listed there. One practical warning. The company states that recruitment scams are using its name on social media and messaging apps, and that it will [never ask applicants for money](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/careers-at-balfour-beatty/) or make unsolicited job offers. Apply through its own site and treat any request for a fee as a red flag. ## What Does the Government Say About the Plan? Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the plan, calling it [exactly what we want to see](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article) and pointing to the value of firms training up the next generation. Group chief executive Philip Hoare framed it as a bet on demand, calling the expansion [a clear vote of confidence in the market](https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2026/09/23/balfour-beatty-in-vote-of-confidence-2000-job-plan). Those words are a signal, not a guarantee. The recruitment programme is [underpinned by the UK order book](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/), so it depends on that work going ahead. That is a reason to apply early in the cycle, when a company is actively trying to hit its hiring number, rather than to wait and see. ## What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next? This plan is worth taking seriously if you are starting out, for a simple reason. The company has put a number on how much of its growth is expected to go to people who are still learning. When [roughly half of a big hiring plan](https://www.building.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-to-add-extra-2000-staff-to-uk-workforce-by-2027/5144260.article) is expected to go to apprentices, graduates, interns and trainees, not having experience yet is no reason to hold back from applying. It is worth reading alongside our coverage of [UK job vacancies](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-job-vacancies-lowest-since-pandemic-2026). A contractor adding staff, with its growth tied to the power grid, is a useful pointer to where durable work may sit. Here is how we would act on it. - **Pick your level honestly.** If you have no formal qualifications, the intermediate route is open to you. If you have A Levels, look at higher and degree apprenticeships before assuming university is the only path. - **Lean toward power.** The company names its [power transmission business](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/) as a major source of work behind the plan, so electrician, electrical engineering, planning and project routes connected to grid work are worth looking at first. - **Ask about pay and location up front.** The published pages do not list salaries or say exactly where each role sits, so make those your first questions. - **Apply more than once.** Roles are released throughout the recruitment period, so set a reminder to check the early careers pages every few weeks. - **Stay safe.** Only apply through the official careers site and never pay to be considered. ## Related Articles - [The UK Is Racing to Track Teens Slipping Out of Work and Training](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-tracking-teens-slipping-out-of-work-training) - [How to Become an Electrician and What the Apprenticeship Involves](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-to-launch-an-electrician-career) - [Why Cutting Entry-Level Jobs Could Backfire on Employers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/why-cutting-entry-level-jobs-could-backfire-on-employers) - [The Construction Hiring Boom Is Now Cooling, and Workers Will Feel It](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/construction-hiring-boom-cooling-workers-2026) - [Employers Say New Grads Arrive Missing the Basics and Here Is What to Learn First](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/new-graduates-missing-basics-skills-based-hiring-what-to-learn) - [The UK Just Published the Names of Employers That Underpaid Their Staff](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-minimum-wage-naming-list-underpaid-workers) - [UK Bosses Will Have to Meet You Before Refusing Flexible Work](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-flexible-working-face-to-face) - [UK Graduates Face Unprecedented Job Market Challenges](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-graduates-careers-job-market-crisis) - [Transmission Line Work Promises Job Opportunities and Infrastructure Upgrades](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/transmission-line-work-opportunities-and-upgrades) - [UK State-Owned Energy Company Launches Green Jobs Hiring Drive](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-state-owned-energy-company-hiring) ## People Also Asked ### Q: How many people will Balfour Beatty hire in the UK? A: The company plans to grow its UK workforce by [2,000 people](https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/balfour-beatty/balfour-beatty-to-add-2000-uk-staff-by-2027-23-09-2026/) by the end of 2027, taking it from about 14,000 to 16,000, with about 1,000 of those roles expected to be filled through early career routes. ### Q: Do you need qualifications for a Balfour Beatty apprenticeship? A: Not at the entry level, since the intermediate apprenticeship has [no formal entry requirements](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/apprentices/), although trade roles may involve an aptitude test. Advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships ask for GCSEs or A Levels, or a completed apprenticeship at a lower level. ### Q: What degree do you need for the Balfour Beatty graduate scheme? A: You need [at least a 2:2 degree](https://www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/early-careers/graduates/), ideally in a business subject for the business scheme or in engineering, construction, mathematics, software engineering or an environmental subject for the technical scheme. Ready to explore? [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) brings together 50M jobs in one place. 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