The jobs will be created over three years by the alternative fibre operator’s network of construction partners.
Jobs will be offered to skilled and unskilled people, service-leavers and unemployed.
It will also seek to attract more women and individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, which are under-represented in the construction industry
According to CityFibre, which is owned by a consortium backed by Goldman Sachs, its growing pool of network construction partners are working on a rollout of full fibre costing up to £4 billion in over 100 towns and cities.
The UK government has set the ambitious target of nationwide full fibre infrastructure by 2025.
Partnerships
CityFibre said it will work closely with national employment and recruitment partners including: The Department of Work and Pensions, Construction Industry Training Board and the Career Transition Partnership as well as a number of other specialists such as the Women’s Engineering Society.
Recruitment campaigns to identify the first wave of trainees will begin later this month.
Wherever possible, individuals will be recruited from the town or city identified for rollout.
The company will work closely with local authorities to identify partners in the vicinity that can promote and deliver the programme.
On successful completion of their training, recruits will be introduced to CityFibre’s local network construction partners and considered for a range of network delivery roles. The training and experience will provide them with long-term career opportunities in a sector critical to the UK’s future.
After the pandemic
Steve Holliday, Chairman at CityFibre said, “In the wake of the Coronavirus, delivering the Government’s target of full fibre nationwide by 2025 could not be more important. Of all the infrastructure projects and industrial policies under consideration, full fibre will have the biggest impact in the shortest time, and for the least public money. It will help ensure that the UK not only recovers economically, but that it swiftly transitions to a greener, smarter and fairer economy in which to thrive.”
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Our £5bn commitment to bring faster, gigabit-speed internet to the whole country is key to ensuring everyone is better connected, creating jobs and powering the UK’s economic recovery from coronavirus.
We’re working closely with firms like CityFibre and I warmly welcome their commitment to building a highly-skilled and diverse telecoms workforce which will boost growth right across the UK.”