The company says it will create the new jobs over the coming months and years, with around 225 roles currently available. The employment boost comes as construction work was completed on Three Snowhill, which will serve as BT’s regional hub site for the Midlands. The state-of-the-art new office, built over 17 floors, houses the latest technology and modern facilities that allow colleagues to perform at their best.

BT colleagues have been taking part in induction sessions as part of a phased return to the office over the next few weeks following the end of Covid-19 restrictions. In addition to recent new hires and colleagues moving in from other locations, there are currently 225 vacant roles available in areas such as digital, data, analytics, sales and HR. The new office will eventually accommodate around 3,500 colleagues from across BT Group, including digital network business Openreach.

Philip Jansen, chief executive, BT Group, said: “This is our first major regional hub site to open outside London and is a marker of how BT is transforming to meet the needs of our colleagues and our customers.

“It’s also a statement that we’re serious about the ‘levelling up’ agenda. While our head office remains in London, we are committed to creating more opportunities and basing key operations in other areas of the UK too. A number of our senior leaders are now based here in Birmingham, as well as colleagues from across the business in a wide variety of roles, including exciting new technology research and digital product development functions.

“Three Snowhill epitomises what we are trying to achieve through our new workspaces, and we continue to work towards that vision of providing future-fit, inspiring offices where people can collaborate, innovate and ultimately deliver the best for our customers and the best for our business.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “It really is fantastic to see BT complete their switch to a new flagship office at Three Snowhill with the first of their colleagues moving in.

“Not only is it a huge sign of confidence in the West Midlands that a company of BT’s size and stature is investing in and committing to our region, but it is also brilliant news for people’s livelihoods with around one thousand new jobs to be created. 

“I look forward to working with BT to ensure these roles are filled by local people as part of my 100,000 jobs plan.”

The state-of-the art building will be the first of BT’s hub locations in the UK to open as part of its ‘Better Workplace Programme’ - the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK. Other hubs that will open in the future include Manchester, Bristol and the new London HQ. BT will reduce its footprint from over 300 locations to around 30.

BT’s ambition is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Programme will deliver a combination of moves like this, into new offices, as well as the refurbishment of some existing BT buildings.

Elaine Bergin, BT director for colleague experience, who is based at Three Snowhill, said: “This is a really exciting time for BT as we launch our new regional hub in Birmingham with some fantastic job opportunities for local people and those looking to move to the area.

“BT is a great company and Three Snowhill is an incredible place to work, so I would encourage anyone who may be interested to check out our careers website bt.com/careers where more information and details on how to apply can be found.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic seeing many staff shift to home working over the past 18 months, BT still firmly believes in the future of the office.

Elaine added: “We still see our shared workplaces as central to BT’s future. They will be places where colleagues come together to connect, collaborate, learn and develop, build friendships and share their experiences.

“We recognise that colleagues need the opportunity to work flexibly, and we can enable that through hybrid working. However, particularly for younger individuals and those joining BT for the first time, the opportunity to learn those soft skills and form positive relationships by working together in the office is invaluable.”

BT is adopting a hybrid, flexible approach called ‘Smart Working’ where teams will choose how colleagues spend time between home and their office. Shared workplaces will continue to be central to the company’s future.

Three Snowhill boasts smart building technology, flexible workspaces and collaboration areas. There are also a range of catering options including a ground floor café open to the public, world class event spaces, and a large media screen in reception. It also has a ‘bike doctor’ to encourage more colleagues to cycle to work.

BT will ensure it complies with all the latest guidelines on Covid-19 from Public Health England to ensure people are kept safe in the office. The company will be the main occupier of the 17-storey development, marking a major investment by the company in the UK’s second city.

BT Group plays an important role in the West Midlands economy and is responsible for generating £1 in every £180 produced in the region, according to an independent report. It also generated £1.5 billion to the West Midlands economy in “Gross Value Added” GVA, during the 2019/20 financial year.* BT Group directly employs 5,470 people across the region, with a further 600 employed as contractors.

BT Group today released images of its new regional office hub at Three Snowhill - as it announced the first colleagues will move into the brand-new building in the New Year.

Around 200 people will begin working from the site early in 2021, following the latest public health guidelines, with more arriving in phases over the following months. The office is expected to eventually accommodate more than 3,000 people.

The state-of-the art building will also be the first of BT’s future-fit offices in the UK to open as part of its ‘Better Workplace Programme’ - the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK.

The investment will help BT to transform the way it works, create efficiencies and enable it to better serve its customers. The new office is also a sign of the company’s commitment to the Midlands, providing a major new hub site for the region and the best facilities and services for colleagues to thrive.

The first colleagues to occupy the building will come from a wide range of its functions. BT will ensure social distancing rules apply inside the building, as well as following Public Health England’s latest guidelines on Covid-19 to ensure people are kept safe. The company will be the main occupier of the 17-storey development, marking a major investment by the company in the UK’s second city.

The update comes as BT released new interior images of the building. The modern office environment includes smart building technology, flexible workspaces and collaboration areas. There will also be a range of catering options including a ground floor café open to the public, world class event spaces, and a large media screen in reception.

Hosts will welcome and support colleagues and guests on arrival and throughout the building, and there will be a variety of wellbeing facilities including an on-site gym, multifaith rooms and parenting rooms. In addition, there will be cycling facilities and even a ‘bike doctor’ available to encourage as many colleagues as possible to travel into work by sustainable transport.

Graeme Paton, BT’s managing director of Property and Facilities Services, said: “This year has been so tough on everybody due to the impact of Covid-19 and we know how acutely this has been felt in Birmingham. We believe in the power of our teams and want to give them the best environments to connect, collaborate, create and innovate.

“As the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham is a strategically important location as part of BT’s future. Despite the issues caused by Covid-19, our contractors have been doing an amazing job getting the building prepared so we can occupy it.

“We are pleased to demonstrate this sign of commitment to the West Midlands region and we’re so excited for our colleagues who will be the first in the company to benefit from the future-fit facilities and latest technology that are the cornerstone of our transformation plans.”

Under the five year ‘Better Workplace Programme’, first announced in 2018, BT will consolidate its footprint of more than 300 locations to around 30. The company has already announced several other future locations including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol. It will also move from its current headquarters in London at St Paul’s to a new 320,000 square foot, 18-storey building near Aldgate East Station next year.

BT colleagues based at Three Snowhill will include those from its existing sites in Birmingham and the wider region. The company will also recruit a number of new roles into Three Snowhill over the next year.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I am delighted that a firm of BT’s size and stature is making this move, especially at such a challenging time for the regional economy. It shows there is still a future for major city centre office blocks despite the coronavirus pandemic, and it is a real vote of confidence in the West Midlands economy.

“I look forward to welcoming the first tranche of BT’s employees in the New Year and seeing that number grow throughout the year as our city centres spring back to life.”

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “This fantastic news is a great boost for Birmingham and the wider region at a time when we needed it most.

“By confirming their move to Three Snowhill, BT have underlined their confidence in the city and beyond. And there is the added bonus that their commitment will lead to new jobs being created.”

Wendy Sycamore, BT Group regional lead for the Midlands, said: “This is a really exciting time for BT in the region. Three Snowhill is an amazing workplace that will bring our colleagues together in a modern working environment that will facilitate and build upon the fantastic work BT is doing in the area.

“Birmingham is a really attractive city to work in for our colleagues and we will have access to a great talent pool in the West Midlands region. From digital infrastructure rollout and technology innovation to digital inclusion, BT is already playing a huge role in supporting the West Midlands economy and this will only serve to help expand and increase our ambitions”

Teams based at Three Snowhill will also benefit from Openreach’s full fibre broadband network investment in Birmingham, with more than four million premises across the UK set to receive ultrafast connections by March next year. Colleagues at the new office will also benefit from EE’s extensive 5G coverage in the area. According to independent testing from RootMetrics last year, EE’s 5G network achieved the highest availability in eight major cities, including Birmingham.

BT’s ambition is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Programme will deliver a combination of moves like this, into new offices, as well as the refurbishment of some existing BT buildings

BT Group plays an important role in the Midlands economy and is responsible for generating £1 in every £115 produced in the Midlands region, according to an independent report. It also generated nearly £2 billion towards the Midlands economy in Gross Value Added, during the 2017/18 financial year. BT Group employs more than 11,000 people across the Midlands.

A celebration event was held on Friday, 31 January, at Fazeley Studios, to mark the graduation of 30 people who took part in a 10-day BT Work Ready Programme.

Jose Lopes, head of business engagement at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), attended to present certificates to the graduates. The participants, all aged between 18 and 24, have received training and work experience with BT to help them in their future careers.

BT’s Work Ready programme, in partnership with charity Movement to Work (MtW), is helping thousands of young people not in education, employment or training across the UK. The programme equips them with vital skills and work experience for a career in an increasingly digital world.

Ricky Ricketts, director for local government, health and education at BT, said: “Our Work Ready programme is designed to boost young peoples’ opportunities by inspiring them into a career in the digital workforce – offering employability skills, digital skills and work experience. The programme helps young people acquire the hard and soft skills needed by employers and provides support to get into work through coaching and job networking opportunities.

“The programme is well established with over 3,200 young people graduating since 2014. Over 56% of those completing the course have gone on to get a job, an apprenticeship or moved into further education.”

Jose Lopes, head of business engagement at WMCA, said: “I’d like to congratulate the young people for successfully graduating after their work placements.

“It’s critical that we tackle youth unemployment, and with the help of employers like BT, and through our work with programmes such as Movement to Work, we are giving young people digital and team skills, helping remove the barriers they may encounter to start an exciting new career.”

The work placements are part of a national pilot of the Government-led Transition to Work project, also involving the WMCA, which aims to support unemployed young people into work.

Youth unemployment remains a persistent and stubborn challenge in the UK. The national youth unemployment rate was 11.3 per cent in September - November 2019, compared with 3.8% for the whole population.

Air quality data is being collected every minute from Internet of Things (IoT) modular sensors which can send data over the InLinks’ ultrafast integrated Wi-Fi. Data is then available via BT’s data hub for analysis by a group of researchers and scientists, led by the University of Birmingham, to help monitor air pollution in the area.

InLinkUK from BT is a state-of-the-art digital “hub” that replaces traditional payphones on the streets of Birmingham and across the UK. The InLink units provide a range of free digital services to the local community including free ultrafast Wi-Fi, free phone calls, free mobile device charging, community news and easy access to the emergency services.

Utilising the InLinks for air quality monitoring avoids the need for additional street clutter, with the Wi-Fi providing a reliable way to transmit the information in real time.

The data provided by the InLinks will complement results from other air quality monitoring equipment used in the WM-Air – West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme.

Air pollution in the West Midlands affects around 2.8 million people, reducing life expectancy by up to six months and costing the economy up to £860 million a year, according to recent reports.

Professor William Bloss, of the University of Birmingham, leads the WM-Air project.

He said: “There is a pressing need for more detailed measurements across cities such as Birmingham to deliver clean air science. It’s important for us to understand the levels of air pollution in the city as it can have a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of people who live and work here.

“We are exploring use of the new BT sensors alongside a number of initiatives we already have in place to measure air pollution and improve air quality.”

Neil Scoresby, General Manager Payphones and InLinkUK at BT, said the company was excited to be supporting initiatives to measure air pollution in Birmingham.

“By collecting air quality data at multiple points and more often, it is possible for WM-Air to gain a much better understanding of air pollution in real time via the BT data hub.

“This is a great example of how BT is working with communities in cities like Birmingham to explore how the IoT capability of the InLinks can support a range of smart city initiatives.”

Birmingham, along with Bradford, are the first cities in the UK to use the air quality monitoring via the InLinks. Other cities are set to benefit over the coming months.