British Telecom is one of the UK’s largest private sector apprenticeship employers. It has announced plans to recruit over 80 apprentices and graduates in Suffolk as part of its September 2023 intake. The company will be hiring people in a number of fields including Cyber Security, Network Engineering, and Data Analysis. This is to support the UK’s rapidly growing digital sectors and to help build and extend its 5G network.
Adastral Park, Suffolk
The 84 new roles will primarily be based at Adastral Park, near Ipswich, with 42 graduate roles and 42 apprenticeships being introduced. Adastral Park – a landmark building on the A12 in Martlesham – is home to BT Group’s research and development labs. Over the years, it has forged partnerships with key local organisations such as the Innovation Martlesham Tech Cluster and the University of Suffolk.
Daniel McHugh, a former apprentice who’s based at Adastral Park ‘bought into BT Group’s purpose of connecting for good.’
He says, “Anyone who visited BT Group’s Robotics festival will tell you that Adastral park, our global research headquarters, and the amazing people who work here have an undeniable charm. As a bright-eyed youngster, I was inspired by the incredible innovation I witnessed on my first visit to Adastral.”
BT’s graduate and apprenticeship programme
BT has a decades-long history of recruiting students straight from schools and universities. In the last four years the company has taken on over 2,600 young people like Daniel, and has around 4,000 staff working towards their qualifications at any given time.
Athalie Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer says BT offers “unparalleled development opportunities” to new recruits. “Despite the current economic backdrop,” she says, “we’re building a future pipeline of talent to help drive growth across our business, deliver great outcomes for all of our customers and to underpin economic growth in the UK.”
More diversity
In 2022, the BT Group was ranked third in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK. As part of its Manifesto for responsible, inclusive, and sustainable growth, the company has pledged to build a more diverse talent pool. It aims to have a workforce by 2030 with a 50% gender split, with 25% from an ethnic minority group and 17% with a disability.
Alongside its apprenticeship and graduate scheme opportunities, BT Group is investing in several initiatives to support young people and jobseekers, such as Work Ready and FastFutures, which have already helped thousands of young people kickstart their careers.
For more information on how to apply for an apprenticeship or graduate job at BT Group, please visit their website. This year, the National Apprenticeships Week runs from 6-12 February.
