Thousands of jobs, targeted at both skilled and unskilled people, service-leavers and unemployed, to be created across CityFibre’s network of construction partners.
CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, has announced a three-year recruitment and training programme to provide up to 10,000 people with jobs upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure to full fibre – the best available technology enabling the fastest and most dependable digital connectivity and broadband services.
The Government has made the nationwide deployment of full fibre by 2025 a key target. This critical initiative will underpin Britain’s long-term economic recovery from the Coronavirus crisis, helping to level-up the economy by enabling access to ultra-fast digital connectivity for all.
The recruitment programme will include the identification and training of thousands of unemployed UK residents as well as new job opportunities for qualified and experienced construction and telecoms workers. Jobs will be created within CityFibre’s growing pool of network construction partners delivering the up to £4bn rollout of full fibre infrastructure to over 100 towns and cities.
The programme will target specific groups including service-leavers and those now unemployed as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. It will also seek to attract more women and individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, both of which are significantly under-represented in the construction industry.
CityFibre will work closely with an expanding network of national employment and recruitment partners including: The Department of Work and Pensions, Construction Industry Training Board and the Career Transition Partnership as well as a number of other specialists such as the Women’s Engineering Society.
Recruitment campaigns to identify the first wave of trainees will begin later this month. Wherever possible, individuals will be recruited from the town or city identified for rollout, providing a much-needed boost to local employment and economies. CityFibre will continue to work closely with Local Authorities to identify local partners through which it can promote and deliver the programme.
On successful completion of their training, recruits will be introduced to CityFibre’s local network construction partners and considered for a range of network delivery roles. The training and experience will provide them with long-term career opportunities in a sector critical to the UK’s future.
Steve Holliday, Chairman at CityFibre said: “We’re delighted to launch our training and recruitment programme creating up to 10,000 jobs in such a critical and vibrant sector. The programme will reach deep into our society to include some of those most in need of opportunity. Ultimately, it will ensure the skilled workforce is in place to get the job done and at the same time provide up-skilling and well-paid jobs across more than 100 towns and cities.
“In the wake of the Coronavirus, delivering the Government’s target of full fibre nationwide by 2025 could not be more important. Of all the infrastructure projects and industrial policies under consideration, full fibre will have the biggest impact in the shortest time, and for the least public money. It will help ensure that the UK not only recovers economically, but that it swiftly transitions to a greener, smarter and fairer economy in which to thrive.”
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Our £5bn commitment to bring faster, gigabit-speed internet to the whole country is key to ensuring everyone is better connected, creating jobs and powering the UK’s economic recovery from coronavirus.
We’re working closely with firms like CityFibre and I warmly welcome their commitment to building a highly-skilled and diverse telecoms workforce which will boost growth right across the UK.”
Further information on the programme can be found at: www.cityfibre.com/buildfibre
