BT Openreach launches engineering recruitment drive

BT is set to expand the number of people employed by its OpenReach engineering arm by focusing on the recruitment of women and former Armed Forces personnel.

The telco is planning to create 1,600 new engineering jobs within OpenReach, which is the division responsible for rolling out fibre broadband services across the UK.

In a statement, announcing the recruitment drive, BT said the new recruits will help drive up levels of "customer service and bring the technology to even more communities", as well as fix faults and maintain its existing services.

The company said it expects a significant number of the engineering roles to be taken on by former members of the Armed Forces, and is particularly keen on bringing more female engineers on board.

Joe Garner, CEO of Openreach, said the new recruits will bolster the firm's efforts to maintain the pace of its ongoing fibre broadband rollout.

"These new recruits will be a welcome boost to that effort, joining an already world class team. We want to attract the best in the country to a career in engineering," said Garner.

"We are also keen to recruit women as I'm keen to dispel the myth that being an engineer is an exclusively male vocation."

The company's recruitment plans have also won the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron.

"Supporting business creating jobs and providing a better future for hardworking people is a crucial part of our long-term economic plan," he said.

"So I am delighted that BT is launching this major recruitment drive for 1,600 engineers across the UK, providing financial security for families and delivering a world class infrastructure for Britain."