From education to employment

Call for graduates to help build a road network for the future

Some of Highways England's graduates. Image was taken prior to the Covid-19 pandemic

@HighwaysEngland is offering a range of three-year graduate programmes across the country, designed to give graduates all the skills and experience they need to grow their careers, with recruitment for their broad range of apprenticeship programmes beginning next month (November). 

Highways England’s graduates and apprentices work across a variety of roles, such as; project management, cyber security, data analysis and many more – all helping to keep people safe, connect businesses and improve community life around our roads. 

Elaine Billington, Highways England’s Executive HR and Organisational Development Director, said: 

“It’s never been a better time to join Highways England as we’ve recently unveiled £27 billion plans to invest in our strategic road network which will help support 64,000 construction jobs.

“From finance and operations to communications and engineering, we have a variety of graduate and apprentice opportunities available across the country to help build a network for the future and get careers off to a flying start.” 

A shining example of someone who has flourished from Highways England’s graduate programme is Emma Simpson, who in the space of three years since joining in 2017 has been recruited to an assistant project manager role within the company. 

For her incredible work on many improvement schemes across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire, including leading on a flooding resilience project worth £800k, the 25-year-old has been shortlisted for an Association of Project Management 2020 Award (APM) in its Young Project Professional of the Year category. 

Emma Simpson

Emma Simpson, former Highways England graduate, now assistant project manager within the company and shortlisted for national award. 

Emma, from Doncaster, in Yorkshire and former University of Northumbria student added: 

“After leaving university, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at the time, but when I discovered that Highways England’s graduate programme provided opportunities where I could work in different areas, carry on practical training, learn the theory side of things and gain a qualification, it really appealed to me. 

“The skills and support I’ve acquired through the scheme have been life-changing and given me the confidence to go through the interview process for the assistant project manager role I’m now in.” 

Emma will find out if she’s won APM’s Young Professional of the Year Award via a virtual awards ceremony next month (November). 

Graduates and apprentices can find out about opportunities via  and are also urged to follow our social media channels which can be accessed by searching for ‘Highways England’. 


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