60 years of service and counting…Openreach engineer hits massive milestone

Mike Reeve 60 years service

While January is traditionally the time when some may think about looking for a new job that certainly isn’t the case for everyone.

Openreach employees recently had cause to bring out the bunting and crack open the bubbly as one of their own, Mike Reeve, celebrated an astounding 60-years of service with the company.

In a heartwarming celebration at BT Tower in Swansea that was attended by 40 of his colleagues, both past and present, Mike was presented with a well-deserved long-service award.

The Swansea based specialist engineer joined the company on the 26th August 1963, as part of an 18 month ‘youth in training’ programme for the General Post Office in Cambridge.

Little did Mike realise back then as a 16-year-old straight out of school that he was about to embark on a career that would span a revolution in communications technology. From copper cables and manual switchboards with operators connecting analogue telephone calls, to the advent of the internet and broadband and now supporting the roll-out of ultrafast fibre optic technologies - Mike has seen it all.

Over the course of his career the popular engineer would “follow his heart” and re-locate from his hometown of Bury St Edmunds to settle in Swansea in 1975 and start a family.

An immeasurable number of customers have benefited from Mike’s skills and experience during his six-decade career – ranging from major corporations to vital institutions such as banks, doctors' surgeries, schools, as well as individual homes and small businesses.

As testament to Mike’s unwavering commitment and dedication to his work and the company, BT’s longest service employee has no intention of hanging up his hard hat and screwdriver just yet.

Mike Reeve 60 years service

Mike, who now works as a specialist engineering maintaining the telephone exchanges in and around Swansea, said: “I’ve really enjoyed my time here, working with such nice people and good managers – I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“To be the longest serving employee ever is an accolade I’m very proud to have. When I’ve had enough, I’ll hang my boots up, but I’ve no plans to right now. There’s nothing else I’d rather do – except maybe indulge in my passion of motorsport.

When asked about the technological advancements he’s witnessed in the business during his 60-year career Mike said: “It’s incredible to think that when I joined as a 16 year old you had to use an operator to call a friend or family member that lived outside your exchange area. Now we’re able to videocall loved ones on the other side of the planet from some of the most rural parts of the country. Telecommunications has come such a long way and I’m incredibly proud to have played my part.”

Congratulating Mike on his incredible service, Clive Selley, Openreach CEO, said: “I have nothing but admiration for the contribution Mike has made to this company and the communities that he’s served.”

“Openreach is a people business and our work and success relies on people like Mike. To give 60 years of service to one company is an astounding achievement.

“We’re immensely proud to have such a remarkable individual as part of the Openreach family and, on behalf of everybody here, I’d like to congratulate Mike on this fantastic milestone and thank him for his dedication and service to our customers”.

About Openreach in Wales

With a workforce of around 2,300 in Wales, Openreach already employs the nation’s largest team of telecoms engineers and professionals.

Recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlighted the clear economic benefits of connecting everyone in Wales to full fibre. It estimated this would create a £2 billion boost to the Welsh economy.

This short video explains what Full Fibre technology is and you can find out more about our Fibre First programme, latest availability and local plans here.

Mike Reeve 60 years service

60+ blynedd o wasanaeth…peiriannydd Openreach yn cyrraedd carreg filltir enfawr

·       Credir mai dyn o Abertawe yw’r person i weithio am y cyfnod hiraf erioed i Openreach, rhiant gwmni BT Group a’i ragflaenydd GPO (General Post Office)

Yn draddodiadol bydd nifer ohonom yn ystyried chwilio am swydd newydd ym mis Ionawr ond nid yw hynny’n wir am bawb.

Yn ddiweddar roedd cyfle i weithwyr Openreach fwynhau gwydriad o champagne wrth i un ohonynt, Mike Reeve, ddathlu cwblhau 60 blynedd o wasanaeth gyda’r cwmni.

Daeth 40 o’i gydweithwyr - cyfredol a blaenorol - ynghyd ar gyfer dathliad gwresog yn Nhŵr BT Abertawe, pan dderbyniodd Mike wobr i nodi ei wasanaeth hir dymor.

Ymunodd y peiriannydd arbenigol o Abertawe â’r cwmni ar 26 Awst 1963, fel rhan o raglen hyfforddiant ieuenctid 18 mis gyda’r GPO yn ardal Caergrawnt.

Ar y pryd nid oedd syniad gan y bachgen 16 oed yn syth o’r ysgol ei fod ar fin dechrau gyrfa fyddai’n wynebu chwyldro ym maes technoleg cyfathrebu. Dechreuodd wrth weithio ar geblau copr a switsfyrddau llaw gyda staff yn cysylltu galwadau ffôn analog, gan symud ymlaen i lansiad y rhyngrwyd a gwasanaethau band eang. Ac erbyn hyn mae’n cefnogi’r rhaglen i gyflwyno technolegau ffeibr optig cyflym - mae Mike wedi profi popeth yn y maes.

Dros gyfnod ei yrfa dilynodd y peiriannydd poblogaidd ei drwyn wrth symud o’i dref enedigole Bury St Edmunds a setlo yn Abertawe yn 1975 a dechrau teulu.

Mae nifer enfawr o gwsmeriaid wedi elwa o sgiliau a phrofiad Mike dros ei yrfa 60 blynedd - o gorfforaethau enfawr i sefydliadau pwysig fel banciau, meddygfeydd ac ysgolion, ynghyd â chartrefi unigol a busnesau bach.

Ac wrth adlewyrchu ymroddiad Mike i’w waith a’r cwmni, nid yw gweithiwr mwyaf hir dymor BT wedi ystyried dod â’i yrfa i ben hyd yma.

Erbyn hyn, mae Mike yn gweithio fel peiriannydd arbenigol yn cynnal cyfnewidfeydd ffôn ardal Abertawe, a dywedodd: “Rwyf wedi mwynhau fy amser yma, gan weithio gyda phobl mor gynnes a rheolwyr da - ni fyddwn am fod unrhyw le arall.”

“Rwy’n gwerthfawrogi’r fraint o fod y gweithiwr mwyaf profiadol yn y cwmni. Byddaf yn dewis gadael pan fydd yr amser yn iawn, ond nid hyd yma. Nid wyf am wneud unrhyw beth arall - ac eithrio dilyn rasio ceir, efallai.

Mike Reeve 60 years service

Pan holwyd am y datblygiadau technolegol mae wedi profi yn y busnes dros ei yrfa 60 blynedd, dywedodd Mike: “Mae’n anhygoel ystyried bod rhaid gofyn trosglwyddydd i gysylltu galwad â ffrind neu aelod teulu tu allan i ardal eich cyfnewidfa pan ddechreuais. Erbyn hyn, gallwn alw unrhyw un ar ochr arall y blaned o ardaloedd mwyaf gwledig y wlad. Mae’r maes telathrebu wedi newid yn aruthrol ac rwy’n falch iawn o’m cyfraniad at hynny.”

Wrth longyfarch Mike ar ei wasanaeth hir dymor dywedodd Clive Selley, prif weithredwr Openreach: “Rwy’n edmygu cyfraniad Mike at y cwmni a’r cymunedau mae wedi gwasanaethu.”

“Mae busnes Openreach yn dibynnu ar ei weithwyr, a’n gwaith a llwyddiant yn dibynnu ar bobl fel Mike. Mae rhoi 60 blynedd o wasanaeth i un cwmni yn eithriadol.

“Rydym mor falch o gael cymeriad mor unigryw yn rhan o deulu Openreach ac, ar ran pawb yma, llongyfarchiadau i Mike ar gyrraedd y garreg filltir ffantastig hon. Diolch yn awr am ei ymroddiad a’i wasanaeth ar ran ein cwsmeriaid.

Am Openreach Cymru

Gyda gweithlu o oddeutu 2,300 yng Nghymru, mae Openreach eisoes yn cyflogi’r tîm mwyaf o beirianwyr a gweithwyr telathrebu yn y wlad.

Ymchwil diwedddar Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) wedi tanlinellu’r buddion economaidd o gysylltu pawb yng Nghymru â ffeibr cyflawn. Amcangyfrifir byddai’n rhoi heb gwerth £2 biliwn i economi Cymru.

Fideo byr yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn a mwy am ein rhaglen Fibre First, ein darpariaethau diweddaraf a chynlluniau lleol yma.