BT to create apprenticeship and graduate jobs in the North West

BT is to create 50 apprenticeship and graduate jobs in the North West in 2016. The telecoms and TV company will employ around 1,400 apprentices and graduates in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, research and innovation.

The company said that it will be recruiting apprentices in Accrington, Ellesmere Port, Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester. EE and Openreach, both subsidiaries of BT, will also be taking on new apprentices and graduates.

Skills

The news comes after a recent survey by YouGov showed that young employees are lacking the digital skills required for working in a business environment. BT is aiming to provide young people with skills and training in order to tackle the challenges that the UK faces over the development of new digital technologies.

The company recently announced that it is looking to create over 30 new contact centre jobs in Liverpool to provide employment for 1,000 people across the UK.

Changing

BT Chief Executive Gavin Patterson said: “Technology is changing all the time and companies need to support and train young people to develop the skills required for successful careers in essential areas such as science, engineering and IT.”

He added that the UK has been ranked as “the leading digital economy in the G20 for the past five years”, and that BT’s investment in the apprenticeships and graduates will help this to continue.

Minister for Skills Nick Boles stated that 3 million apprenticeships by 2020 will create “exciting opportunities” for working people of any age and will enable businesses around the country to obtain the skills that they need to compete.

Boles added that the BT apprenticeships will provide people with the opportunity to gain the “hands-on experience” that they need in order to succeed.