Full fibre jobs boost

Bondholder CityFibre announces a 10,000 jobs boost to roll-out full fibre infrastructure across the UK.

Targeted at both skilled and unskilled people, service-leavers and unemployed, the thousands of jobs are to be created as part of a three-year recruitment and training programme, within CityFibre’s growing pool of network construction partners delivering the up to £4bn roll-out of full fibre infrastructure to over 100 towns and cities.

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.

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 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 roll-out, 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: “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.”