BT to recruit ex-soldiers to help deliver broadband

Telecoms giant BT is to recruit 200 former members of the armed forces to help deliver super-fast fibre broadband.

BT’s Openreach division said the ex-servicemen and women will start work this month as part of a drive to offer super-fast broadband to homes and businesses across the UK.

Olivia Garfield, chief executive of Openreach, said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to recruit so many ex-armed services personnel. These people have served their country well and so deserve the chance of full-time employment with a generous reward package.

“They are highly skilled, motivated and disciplined and have experience of complex engineering tasks in challenging environments.

“Our fast-track recruitment programme should see the majority of them join us by the end of May and, given their experience, we will be able to train them up quickly and get them straight out where we need them.”

Lieutenant Commander Mark Walker, of the Ministry of Defence, said: “We are delighted that Openreach has recognised the talent, skills and versatility of our service leavers, especially targeting them for recruitment.

“We strongly welcome this initiative, and its promise of rewarding employment and career opportunities for many former armed forces personnel.”

BT said two-thirds of UK premises will have access to fibre broadband by the end of 2015, with around 3,000 engineers currently working on the project.
Source: Press Association