BT Plans 40 New Apprenticeships in Newcastle
More customer service and engineering apprentices to be recruited in the city this year
Newcastle will be one of the locations to benefit most from a major BT recruitment drive of apprentices across the UK, it was announced today.
Around 40 new apprenticeships are expected to be created in the city this year, of which up to 30 will be customer service roles at BT’s customer contact centre on Sandyford Lane in Gosforth. The remainder will be mainly engineering jobs in BT’s local network business, Openreach.
The customer service apprentices will be part of a rapidly developing operation dealing with a wide range of customer issues, including enquiries about BT Sport, superfast fibre broadband and mobile communications.
The Newcastle jobs boost is part of a recent national BT announcement to create 1,000 new apprenticeships and graduate jobs in the UK. The new recruits will join the 49 people already undergoing BT apprenticeships in the North East.
Gosforth is the base for one of BT’s major customer contact centres in the UK, employing more than 1,000 customer service advisers and managers and handling more than 37,000 enquiries a day. Further information about BT apprenticeships and how to make an application is available at: http://www.bt.com/apprentices
Farooq Hakim, BT’s North East regional director, said: “This latest announcement is great news for Newcastle and further confirmation of the vital role played by BT as an innovator, investor and creator of jobs in the North East. Such recruitment is a major vote of confidence in the quality of the North East workforce and the abilities and commitment of people in our region.
“An apprenticeship with one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies is a great way to start a rewarding career, offering first class personal development opportunities.
“BT has a very strong reputation as a leading employer and with major developments, such as our multi billion pound investments in superfast broadband, mobile communications, TV and sport, the prospects have never looked brighter or more exciting.”
Ross Smith, director of Policy at North East Chamber of Commerce, said:
“The news of 40 new BT apprenticeships is great for our region. Not only do apprenticeships equip people with skills for their future, they also benefit employers by bringing enthusiasm and a fresh perspective into a workplace.
“Not every school leaver is matched to further education and apprenticeships such as these show people that there are alternatives out there for a successful career.”
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