Telecoms giant BT is creating more than 70 new apprenticeship and graduate jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The call for recruits, which also covers mobile operator EE, will see more than 50 apprentices and more than 20 graduates take up roles in areas such as customer service, vehicle maintenance to cyber security.

BT is recruiting 1,700 apprentices and graduates across the UK, having employed almost 2,500 in the past two years.

A number of the recruits will be based at BT’s research centre at Adastral Park, near Ipswich, Suffolk, which develops communications networks as well as ultrafast broadband and 5G.

The company also funds and runs Barefoot Computing, a project that helps primary school teachers get confident with teaching computer science.

Telecoms giant BT is creating more than 70 new apprenticeship and graduate jobs in Yorkshire
Telecoms giant BT is creating more than 70 new apprenticeship and graduate jobs in Yorkshire

A million children, including more than 50,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber, have already benefited from the programme, which provides primary school with resources and training.

BT plans to reach 5m UK children by 2020.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Robert Halfon welcomed the announcement, saying: “By committing to injecting 1,700 new graduate and apprentice jobs into the UK, BT is offering a real chance to be trained by some of the best in their field.

“This is especially great news ahead of what will be the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week where we will showcase the life-changing potential of apprenticeships for people up and down the country.”

BT chief executive Gavin Patterson said: “Young people today need three basic skills – reading, writing, and tech know-how.

"BT is investing in the next generation, helping to train primary school teachers to teach computer science and recruiting large numbers of apprentices and graduates. This is the right thing for us to do if the UK is to remain a digital leader.”

Tom Keeney, chairman of BT’s regional board in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This latest major recruitment is a further example of BT’s commitment to Yorkshire and the Humber as one of the region’s leading employers and investors.

“The new recruits will be joining a world-leading company, which has already invested hundreds of millions of pounds in the region in technologies such as superfast broadband and 4G.”

BT supports about 14,300 jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber, through direct employment, spending with contractors and suppliers and the spending of employees – giving an annual boost to the region’s economy worth nearly £1.12bn.

For further information on BT’s Apprenticeship Scheme go to www.btplc.com/Careercentre/Ourlocations/UK/Apprenticeships/index.htm and for graduates go to www.btgraduates.com