Virgin Media O2 UK to Create 200 New Apprenticeship Roles

Broadband ISP, pay TV and mobile giant Virgin Media (VMO2) has announced that they intend to mark National Apprenticeship Week (7-13 February 2022) by creating more than 200 new apprenticeship roles across the UK in 2022. The move comes after BT pledged to recruit over 600 apprentices and graduates this year.

The new positions are being created to cover a variety of different roles. Currently, there are more than 100 apprenticeship roles available from engineering – which includes the installation of broadband and TV services in customers’ homes, to the expansion and maintenance of their gigabit network, as well as digital marketing, project management, and so forth.

The apprenticeship roles are based nationwide, including in London, Bellshill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland), Birmingham, Bristol, Gateshead, Manchester, Reading and Sheffield. All roles are offered on a permanent contract with a minimum starting salary of £19,000 – above the UK’s average for an apprenticeship scheme.

Philipp Wohland, VMO2’s Chief People and Transformation Officer, said:

“We’re building a future-proof workforce which has the skills we need to upgrade the UK with the first-class connectivity the country needs now and for the future.

Our apprenticeships offer fantastic on-the-job training where people can earn while they learn on a permanent contract, and they are supported every step of the way.

Virgin Media O2 is a great place to work and we’re creating a culture where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.”

Julia Lopez, Digital Infrastructure Minister, said:

“We need a new generation of talented young people to help bring us the benefits of better broadband and mobile coverage to people and businesses.

“The new apprenticeships at Virgin Media O2 are a welcome addition to our innovative telecoms workforce and show our plan to boost investment in digital infrastructure is levelling up the UK.”

Readers may recall that Virgin Media and O2 committed, as part of last summer’s merger agreement (50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica SA), to create 1,000 apprenticeship roles, and it has already enrolled more than 250 people onto apprenticeship schemes. This is on top of the roles available via the company’s graduate and internship programmes. To apply for a Virgin Media role, click here, and for an O2 role, here.