BT Move to Create Over 1000 New UK Apprenticeship and Graduate Jobs

Telecoms giant BT has announced that it will create more than 1,000 new apprenticeship and graduate jobs. On top of that the operator is supporting the employer-led “Movement to Work” initiative, which aims to tackle youth unemployment by providing up to 1,500 vocational training and work experience placements over the next 18 months.

According to BT, some 300 of the new graduate positions will be for people interested in science, technology and business. Meanwhile 730 apprenticeships will be offered to school and college leavers, with a focus on engineering, software design, IT support, finance and logistics.

The operator has also created a new digital media technology apprenticeship that will provide recruits with experience and skills in website development, digital networks, digital TV and digital media distribution.

Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT, said:

“This is a tough time in the job market, with almost a million young people across the UK struggling to find work. Every company needs to play its part in ensuring that Britain’s future workforce isn’t impaired by long-term unemployment.

BT has an exciting future ahead of it, investing in the UK’s high speed broadband infrastructure, and advances in television and digital media. Through new apprenticeships, graduate training and the Movement to Work programme, we want thousands of young people in Britain to share in this future.”

Apparently a large number of the apprenticeship and graduate jobs being created will come from BT’s Adastral Park facility, near Ipswich in Suffolk, where the operator’s new blood will be able to learn about “the future of broadcasting and wireless technology“, which includes “pioneer new developments in high speed fibre communication networks” (i.e. we assume things like G.fast, FTTdp, FTTP etc.).

Clive Selley, CEO of BT’s Technology, Service & Operations, said:

“There’s a danger that not enough people in the UK are getting the training they need to work in research, development and innovative new industries. That’s why I’m delighted that the majority of these new recruits will work in these fields of engineering and technology research, and that BT can play an extremely positive role by taking them on and advancing their skills through mentoring and training.”

BT’s press release claims that the operator has invested £3.7 billion in R&D over the last five years and they claim to be putting “more than £3 billion to roll-out fibre broadband across the UK” (i.e. £2.5bn for their commercial FTTC/P deployment and the rest for match-funding with the Broadband Delivery UK office).

Note: most of that “fibre broadband” is the slower hybrid fibre and copper (FTTC) service and not true fibre optic (FTTP/H) connectivity.