By Scott Wright
OPENREACH has handed the Scottish economy a much-needed jobs boost by revealing plans to create at least 275 engineering jobs in 2021.
The digital infrastructure company, part of BT Group, is adding the roles as it steps up the rollout of its ultra-fast broadband network.
It is estimated that nearly two million more people than previously thought could choose to work from home in the long term following the massive shift out of offices sparked by the pandemic.
The expansion will involve the creation of 47 posts for Fife, 40 for the Glasgow area, 36 for Edinburgh and the Lothians, 35 for the north of Scotland (including Perth and Kinross), 32 across Ayrshire, 22 for Scottish Borders and 17 each for Stirling, Clackmannanshire, and Dumfries and Galloway.
It is part of a wider recruitment drive by Openreach to create 5,300 jobs across the UK, including more than 2,500 full-time jobs within its service and build divisions. A further 2,800 are forecast to be added through its UK supply chain via partners such as KN Circet and Morrison Telecom Services. Both are working on the company’s full-fibre build in Scotland.
Openreach is aiming to reach 20 million homes and businesses by the mid to late 2020s with the full-fibre broadband programme. The company currently employs more than 34,500 people, around 3,200 of whom live or work in Scotland.
Robert Thorburn, Openreach Scotland partnership director, said: “As a major employer and infrastructure builder, we believe Openreach can play a leading role in helping Scotland to build back better and greener.
“Our full-fibre network build is going faster than ever, and we are now looking for people across the country to build a career with Openreach and help us upgrade broadband connections and continue improving service levels. We are also investing in our supply chain, which will support the creation of thousands more jobs all over the UK.”
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