This is due to digital network business Openreach’s recruitment of 3,500 new trainee engineers over the coming year.

The recruitment drive follows last month’s announcement that Openreach is accelerating plans to build more Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) broadband infrastructure across the UK.

The new roles, located throughout the country, will see trainees working to expand, upgrade, maintain and install new services over Openreach’s national broadband network. Along with an expected expansion in its supply chain, this will support the creation of around 5,000 new jobs in Britain over the coming year.

Openreach’s ‘Fibre First’ programme will deliver expanded FTTP networks in up to 40 towns, cities and boroughs, setting it on a trajectory to reach 10m British premises by the mid-2020s. It has committed to making FTTP available in 3 million British homes and business by the end of 2020 and, if the conditions are right, intends to go significantly further, bringing the benefits of FTTP technology to the majority of homes and businesses in the UK. 

The build will begin in eight cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

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