Openreach, BT’s local network business, has completed another major recruitment drive in the South West in order to improve customer service across the region.

The latest recruitment has included the hiring of 165 engineers and 17 apprentices in the South West to help install new lines and fix faults more quickly. The new recruits are also working on rolling out fibre broadband to more households and businesses beyond the more than two million premises in the region, which already have access to the high speed technology.

Communities where the latest Openreach recruits are based include Helston, Truro and Penzance.

The announcement is the latest in a series of major recruitment drives undertaken by Openreach in the South West. More than 130 engineers and apprentices were hired in the region last year.

A significant number of the jobs have been taken up by ex-service men and women - continuing the company’s long-standing relationship with the UK Armed Forces1. The business remains keen to further increase diversity in the workforce, including the recruitment of more female engineers. It recently joined forces with other technology firms to create a new mentoring scheme – Step into STEM – which encourages schoolgirls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers.

Clive Selley, chief executive of Openreach, said: “Improving the service that we provide to customers is my number one priority, and these new engineering recruits will be helping us connect more people on time and fix faults faster.

“Openreach is already rolling out superfast fibre broadband and is helping the Government achieve its aim of reaching 95 per cent of UK premises by the end of 2017. As we take the UK beyond superfast, many of these engineers will also be helping us get ultrafast speeds to up to 12 million homes by the end of 2020.

“We’re making big investments to build and maintain our network, but we recognise there’s much more to do and we want to attract the very best people to help us on that journey.”