HS2 apprentice takes centre stage at London’s STEM LIVE event

HS2 civil engineering apprentice, Nusayba Abass, has been selected to play a lead role at this year’s STEM LIVE event, which takes place at the Science Museum in London.

22-year-old Nusayba from North London is one of three guest speakers chosen by the museum and event organisers NST to lead the event. She will help inspire an audience of young people from across the UK to follow STEM career pathways.

Nusayba joined HS2’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA (BBVS), as a civil engineering apprentice in 2021. She’s part of the engineering team building HS2’s new ‘super-hub’ station at Old Oak Common in West London, the largest new station to be built in the UK.

Nusayba’s invitation to join STEM LIVE follows the success of her workshop and Q&A session earlier this year at the Science Museum, as part of the free ‘Meet an Employee’ workshops for schools in Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery. During her inspirational session, Nusayba discussed her career journey on HS2 and explained why she chose a degree apprenticeship, rather than opting to study full-time at university.  

Now, two years into her five-year apprenticeship, which is fully funded by her employer, Nusayba combines work and study, while earning a wage. The work experience element of her degree enables her to rotate between different departments every six months, so she gains experience in all aspects of civil engineering.

Nusayba said:

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to meet and influence the technicians of the future, and I hope sharing my experience will help them to be more informed about the career options available to them.

“I would have loved to hear that it’s okay not to follow the same path as everyone else when I was in school. I really hope that’s what the students at today’s session take away.”

Speaking about Nusayba’s guest speaker role at STEM LIVE, Laura Southall, Head of Learning at the Science Museum said:  

“We are thrilled to welcome Nusayba back to the museum as part of STEM LIVE at the Science Museum, which we hope will inspire the students visiting to discover more about important STEM careers.

“Nusayba first visited the museum to lead one of our engaging and free Meet an Employee workshops, which enables school children to experience life as a technician, in ‘Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery’. The gallery showcases the important roles of technicians in the workplace, bringing careers to life with hands-on exhibits, and we were thrilled that Nusayba was able to share her experiences working on HS2 with our visitors in the gallery.”

Hundreds of school pupils from across the UK have registered to take part in the event.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where the Science Museum in London is based, is one of seven priority boroughs that HS2 works with to support young people and the unemployed into careers.

Ambrose Quashie, HS2’s Legacy Manager for Greater London said:

“We’re delighted to be able to partner with the Science Museum, which has given Nusayba the opportunity to be involved in this exciting initiative. It’s a further demonstration of how working in partnership is helping to deliver a strong and sustainable legacy for HS2.”