New Highland jobs to be created by Openreach after record year for hiring women engineers
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Communications infrastructure provider Openreach is to create and fill 40 new engineering posts across the Highlands and Islands.
The new north roles are among a total of around 500 which will be created during 2022 – including around 390 apprenticeships – as Openreach continues to invest billions of pounds into its UK broadband network, people and training.
The fullfibre rollout is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by December 2026 and has already reached more than half a million properties in Scotland.
The hiring spree – which will see 4000 new jobs created across the UK – is part of the largest recruitment drive in Openreach’s history and will also help deliver further improvements in customer satisfaction, which is at a record high.
With a workforce of 3700 across Scotland, Openreach already employs the nation’s largest team of telecoms engineers and professionals and has committed to building a more diverse and inclusive team in an industry that’s traditionally been very white, male dominated.
Last year, 17 per cent of the company’s intake of trainee engineers in Scotland was female, more than triple the previous year. The boost was thanks partly to employing language experts to transform its job adverts and descriptions, making them gender neutral.
Openreach chief executive Clive Selley said: “Openreach is a people business first and foremost, so I’m proud that we’re continuing to invest heavily in our people, having hired and trained more than 8000 new engineers over the last two years, over 800 of them across Scotland.
“We’re rightly recognised as one of the best big companies to work for, and we’re determined to stay that way, so we’ve been building state of the art training schools where we can teach people the skills and techniques they need for long, exciting and rewarding careers in engineering.
“We want to reflect the communities we serve and give opportunities to people from all backgrounds, so I’m encouraged that we’ve recruited more women and minority groups this year compared to last year, but we’ve got much more to do in an industry that hasn’t been very diverse historically.
“These new recruits will play a crucial role as we continue to improve services for our customers and build the biggest and best broadband network in Scotland.”
Scottish Government employment minister Richard Lochhead said: “Accessing fast and reliable broadband has never been so important. Building on the early success of our Young Person’s Guarantee and our ongoing significant investment in education, employability and skills, these additional 500 high quality jobs being created by Openreach will increase opportunities across Scotland.
“Apprenticeships are a key way for all employers to continue to invest in their workforce, providing core skills the economy needs now and in the future. This is central to the Scottish Government’s immediate priority to lead the country through the Coronavirus (COvid-19) pandemic into a recovery that protects and creates jobs and backs our young people.”
Among Openreach's recent female recruits is Natasha Carswell (30), from Carnwath, Lanark, who joined Openreach last year after a career as a hairdresser.
She said: “During the pandemic I lost my dad, which made me decide to take life into my own hands and make it a little more exciting. I want to do something that excites me and is different every day. People do get surprised to see a female engineer at the door. I absolutely love when I have a senior customer and doing one extra wee thing, like helping them set up the phone, can make their day and leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling.”
Former dog walker and semi-professional footballer Alana Marshall (34), from Dunfermline in Fife, also took up the opportunity for a change of career.
“I’ve always been interested in engineering and wanted to have a good job for my daughter. I really love getting my hands dirty and with this job you certainly do," she said.
"I never have two days the same and haven't come across anything I don't like so far! So far I've had positive customer reactions. I’d tell other women considering engineering to go for it, never have any doubt that you can’t or shouldn’t be doing a job like this. We are just as capable.”
Candidates for the new roles do not require any formal qualifications to apply, just a driving license, a strong work ethic, great customer service skills and an enthusiasm to work outdoors.
Openreach is aiming for at least 20 per cent of its trainee engineer recruits to be women this year, with 50 per cent of its external hires into management to be women by 2025.
It also plans to retrain more than 3000 of its existing engineers during the next year – changing their focus from fixing older, copper-based technologies to installing and maintaining faster, more reliable fibre connections. Its national training centre in Livingston, West Lothian, expects to deliver 11,000 training days during the 2022/23 financial year.
