Demand for BT apprenticeship programme doubles

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 16 Aug 2010 at 10:23

BT is considering expanding its apprenticeship programme after demand for the scheme doubled this year, with 100 times more applicants than positions.

Nearly 24,000 have applied for the 221 positions this year, more than double the 9,000 that tried to win a spot last year, BT said.

A spokesperson told PC Pro that BT was "considering whether to expand the scheme or not" to help with the broadband rollout.

“Given this interest, and BT’s plans to spend £2.5 billion on rolling out fibre broadband, the company is now considering whether to expand the scheme," said Alex Wilson, BT’s human resources director. "We’ll need engineers to help us deliver superfast broadband and so we hope to tap into the interest that is being shown by young people across the UK."

The positions pay between £11,000 and £14,000 for roles in IT, telecoms, and customer service, giving apprentices a BTEC or Foundation Degree.

BT said it would begin recruiting for its 120 graduate positions for 2011 this autumn. That intake looks for students for roles in business management, functional roles such as HR, and technical work.