Jamie Hepburn helps open new fibre training school in Livingston, Scotland | Openreach

07 Mar 2019

We’ve unveiled a £485,000 investment in a national fibre training school for Scotland to educate the country’s next generation of digital engineers bringing vital broadband services to communities across Scotland.

What is it?

Trainees will test their skills in a 18,700 square foot replica street built from scratch to recreate the live network in the real world – Openreach’s first outdoor “Openstreet” in the UK. More than 2,000 engineers from all over Scotland will train at the unique Livingston school this year.

Katie Milligan with Jamie Hepburn opening Livingston training school

Opening the new school at Openreach’s national training centre in Livingston today during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019, Jamie Hepburn, minister for business, fair work and skills, welcomed the investment in training on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Mr Hepburn said: “Investing in the skills of Scotland’s current and future workforce are priorities for the Scottish Government. In support of that we will continue to expand the number of apprenticeships available in Scotland, and in this Scottish Apprenticeship Week we fully welcome Openreach announcement regarding their investment in Scotland and its workforce.”

"Investing in the skills of Scotland’s current and future workforce are priorities for the Scottish Government."

Brendan Dick, chair of our Scotland board, said: “Our training schools will help us to meet new training demands in a revolutionary, immersive environment and, this month, the learning days we deliver annually in Scotland will top 16,300 – the highest in the history of our business.”

Trainees attending the fibre training school will receive comprehensive training – from picking up a job and setting up their working area safely, to splicing together hair-breadth fibres or installing or repairing a line.