BT has announced its latest drive to hire and develop the next generation of telecoms professionals, with plans to hire over 600 apprentices in 2022 as part of their September intake.
This total represents a significant increase from last year, in which BT hired 428 people in related roles.
The roles available will reportedly span a wide variety of subject areas, from customer service support, to research, cybersecurity, and 5G engineering. Naturally, BT notes that the new recruits will play a key role in helping them to build and expand their 5G network across the UK.
Jobs roles will be available in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Dundee, Glasgow, London, Manchester, as well as other locations. More than 100 of these jobs will be available at BT’s Martlesham base near Ipswich, where 54 apprenticeships and 62 graduate jobs have been announced.
“The combination of our hybrid working approach and our state-of-the-art offices makes BT a great place for new joiners to learn new skills and capabilities, collaborate with colleagues, and bring innovative thinking to drive growth across our business and deliver for all of our customers. It’s a very exciting time to join BT,” said Debbie White, chief human resources officer at BT.
BT is currently in the process of increasing the diversity of its workforce. By 2030, the operator wants its work force to have a 50:50 gender split, with 25% of staff to come from ethnic minority demographics and 17% with a disability.
Alongside this recruitment announcement, BT is also investing in various initiatives to support young jobseekers. These projects include BT’s own Work Ready training scheme and the FastFutures programme, which provides 18–22-year-olds with training in marketing, data, finance, teamwork and problem solving.
In related news, BT has today also announced that it has signed a multimillion-pound deal with BAI Communications to deliver a core part of the company’s data centre requirements as it works with Transport for London on for connectivity on the London Underground. BT will reportedly provide premium data centre space in London, powered by 100% renewable energy, with BT Wholesale managing the sites as a neutral party.
Three and EE were the first mobile players to sign up to use BAI’s neutral host network on the Underground in December last year.
