BT calls for more South Tyneside recruits

The new recruits will be based at the BT building, in South Shields.

The nationwide firm is on the hunt for new apprentices across the North East – including in South Shields – while graduate posts will be filled in Newcastle as part of a nationwide drive.

The jobs boost comes after the company announced plans to employ 50 new workers at its base in Harton Quay, South Shields.

The bulk of those roles will be in sales and customer services departments.

Across the UK, BT will employ about 1,400 new apprentices and graduates in a range of roles from cybersecurity and software development to research and innovation.

The positions will be spread across the company, with mobile phone operator EE and BT’s local network business, Openreach, both taking on large numbers – as will BT’s research and development arm.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT, said: “Technology is changing all the time and companies need to support and train young people to develop the skills required for successful careers in essential areas such as science, engineering and IT.

“The UK has been ranked as the leading digital economy in the G20 for the past five years, and our investment in these people will help this continue.”

Farooq Hakim, BT’s North East regional director, described the recruitment as “more excellent news for our region”.

He said: “These apprenticeships and graduate jobs offer great opportunities for people in the North East to be part of one of the world’s most exciting and rapidly-developing industries and one of the UK’s leading companies,”

BT is investing billions of pounds on the roll-out of superfast fibre broadband and some of the new recruits will work on that programme.

People keen to find out more about the new jobs on offer at the BT building in Harton Quay can visit http://btcareers.manpower.co.uk/

The interview process will include online tests, assessment centres and interviews.