Openreach creates 250 new Welsh jobs after a record year for hiring women engineers
Openreach today announced it will create and fill around 250 additional jobs across Wales during 2022 – including more than 200 apprenticeships – as it continues to invest billions of pounds into its UK broadband network, people and training. (Gweler fersiwn Cymraeg isod / Welsh language version below)
The new recruits will be based across all parts of Wales including Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Powys, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport working to build and connect customers to the company’s ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband network.
The mammoth build is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by December 2026 and has already reached more than 425,000 properties in Wales.
The hiring spree - 4,000 new jobs are being created across the UK - is part of the largest recruitment drive in Openreach’s history and will also help deliver further improvements in customer satisfaction, which is at a record high[1].
With a workforce of around 2,300 across Wales, Openreach already employs the nation’s largest team of telecoms engineers and professionals and has committed to building a more diverse and inclusive team in an industry that’s traditionally been very white, male dominated.
Last year, the company attracted 600 women into trainee engineering roles – more than double the previous year. Around 50 were recruited in Wales. The boost was thanks partly to employing language experts to transform its job adverts and descriptions, making them gender neutral.
Clive Selley, CEO, Openreach, said: “Openreach is a people business first and foremost, so I’m proud that we’re continuing to invest heavily in our people, having hired and trained more than 8,000 new engineers over the last two years.”
“We’re rightly recognised as one of the best big companies to work for in Wales and we’re determined to stay that way, so we’ve been building state of the art training schools where we can teach people the skills and techniques they need for long, exciting and rewarding careers in engineering.
“We want to reflect the communities we serve and give opportunities to people from all backgrounds, so I’m encouraged that we’ve recruited more women and minority groups this year compared to last year, but we’ve got much more to do in an industry that hasn’t been very diverse historically.
“These new recruits will play a crucial role as we continue to improve services for our customers and build the biggest and best broadband network in Wales and the rest of the UK, covering millions of rural and urban homes.”
Vaughan Gething, Wales’ Economy Minister, said:“The Welsh Government wants to create a fairer and more prosperous Wales, where nobody is left behind. So I’m delighted Openreach are creating 250 new jobs across Wales, supporting our aim of creating new high-quality jobs in the industries and services of the future.
“I’m also delighted see more than 200 new, high-quality apprenticeships being created, providing invaluable opportunities for people from all sectors of society to start a rewarding career in engineering. This will support our mission of ensuring people are able to make their future here in Wales.”
The new roles offer a very competitive starting salary[2] and long-term career prospects, but candidates don’t need any formal qualifications to apply. All you need is a driving license, a strong work ethic, great customer service skills and an enthusiasm to work outdoors – Openreach will give you all the equipment and training you need to do the rest. Click here for a full list of employee benefits.
Alongside its recruitment drive, Openreach has committed to represent ONS measured levels of ethnic diversity3 across the UK and is aiming for at least 20 percent of its trainee engineer recruits to be women this year, with 50 percent of its external hires into management also to be women by 2025. You can read more about the company’s commitments to Diversity and Inclusion here.
Openreach also plans to retrain more than 3,000 of its existing engineers during the next year – changing their focus from fixing older, copper-based technologies to installing and maintaining faster, more reliable fibre connections. Last year, Openreach’s National Learning Centre for Wales in Newport was officially opened by the First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford and expects to train up to 6,000 new and existing Openreach engineers from across Wales, as well as further afield, during a typical year.
ENDS
[1] Openreach is on track to deliver all 30 Ofcom-mandated quality of service standards, having delivered a best ever Q3 for ‘on time repair’ and ‘on time provision’ measures. 91% of customers surveyed score Openreach 8 or more out of 10 for customer satisfaction.
[2] The new trainee apprenticeship roles come with a starting salary of £21,845 and recruits can be earning up to £28,353 following 12 months of specialist training to achieve an NVQ level 2, in one of Openreach’s world class training centres.
3 Openreach has set ethnic minority representation targets for all management, talent entry and team member recruitment in both desk and field roles on a regional basis, so we reflect the local population (data defined by the ONS). As a minimum we will match regional ethnic minority representation in all our recruitment and share these outcomes on a regular basis.
Openreach yn creu 250 swydd newydd ac yn cyflogi mwy o fenywod nag erioed
Heddiw cyhoeddodd Openreach bydd yn creu a llenwi oddeutu 250 swydd ychwanegol yng Nghymru yn ystod 2022 - yn cynnwys dros 200 prentisiaeth - wrth barhau i fuddsoddi £biliynau mewn rhwydwaith band eang, pobl a hyfforddiant yn y Deyrnas Unedig.
Bydd yn recriwtio ym mhob rhan o’r wlad, yn cynnwys sir Ddinbych, sir y Fflint, Gwynedd, Powys, sir Benfro, Abertawe, Caerdydd & Casnewydd wrth gysylltu cwsmeriaid i rwydwaith band eang ffeibr cyflawn y cwmni.
Nod y rhaglen enfawr yw cyrraedd 25 miliwn cartref a busnes yn y Deyrnas Unedig erbyn Rhagfyr 2026 ac mae eisoes wedi cyrraedd dros 425,000 adeilad yng Nghymru.
Mae’r cynllun - fydd yn creu 4,000 swydd newydd ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig - yn rhan o’r rhaglen recriwtio fwyaf yn hanes Openreach a bydd hefyd yn helpu i wella bodlonrwydd cwsmeriaid, sydd eisoes ar y lefelau uchaf erioed[1].
Wrth gyflogi 2,300 yng Nghymru, mae Openreach eisoes yn cynnal y tîm mwyaf o beirianwyr a gweithwyr cysylltiedig yn y wlad, ac mae wedi ymrwymo i adeiladu tîm mwy amrywiol a chynhwysol o fewn diwydiant sy’n draddodiadol wedi cynnwys mwyafrif llethol o weithwyr sy’n ddynion gwyn.
Y llynedd, denodd y cwmni 600 o fenywod i rolau hyfforddi peirianwyr - dros ddwywaith yn fwy na’r flwyddyn flaenorol, yn cynnwys oddeutu 50 yng Nghymru. Gwelwyd y cynnydd yn rhannol ar ôl cyflogi arbenigwyr iaith er trawsnewid hysbysebion a disgrifiadau swyddi, gan eu gwneud yn niwtral o ran cenedl.
Dywedodd Clive Selley, prif swyddog gweithredol Openreach: “Yn bennaf oll mae Openreach yn fusnes pobl, felly rwy’n falch ein bod yn parhau i fuddsoddi’n helaeth yn ein pobl, gan gyflogi a hyfforddi dros 8,000 peiriannydd newydd dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf”.
“Cydnabyddir Openreach fel un o’r cwmnïau mawr gorau i weithio iddo yng Nghymru ac rydym yn benderfynol o gynnal hynny. Felly, rydym wedi adeiladu ysgolion hyfforddi modern ble gallwn ddysgu’r sgiliau a’r technegau bydd pobl angen er mwynhau gyrfaoedd hir, cyffrous a llwyddiannus ym maes peirianneg.
“Rydym am adlewyrchu’r cymunedau ble byddwn yn gweithio a rhoi cyfleoedd i bobl o wahanol gefndiroedd, felly rwy’n falch o nodi ein bod wedi recriwtio mwy o fenywod a phobl o grwpiau lleiafrifol eleni o gymharu’r â’r llynedd, ond mae mwy o waith i wneud o fewn diwydiant nad yw wedi bod yn amrywiol iawn yn hanesyddol.
“Bydd y recriwtiaid newydd hyn yn chwarae rôl hanfodol wrth i ni barhau i wella gwasanaethau ar gyfer ein cwsmeriaid ac adeiladu’r rhwydwaith band eang mwyaf a gorau yng Nghymru a gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig er gwasanaethu miliynau o gartrefi gwledig a threfol.”
Dywedodd Vaughan Gething, Gweinidog Economi Cymru:“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru am greu gwlad fwy teg a llewyrchus fydd yn helpu pawb i ffynnu. Felly, rwy’n falch o weld Openreach yn creu 250 swydd newydd yng Nghymru, gan gefnogi ein nod o greu swyddi o safon o fewn diwydiannau a gwasanaethau’r dyfodol.
“Yn ogystal, rwy’n falch bydd y cwmni’n creu 200 prentisiaeth newydd, gan greu cyfleoedd gwerthfawr i bobl o bob rhan o gymdeithas ddechrau gyrfaoedd llwyddiannus ym maes peirianneg. Bydd yn cefnogi ein cenhadaeth er galluogi pobl i fwynhau dyfodol llewyrchus yma yng Nghymru.”
Bydd y rolau newydd yn cynnig cyflog cychwynnol[2] cystadleuol iawn a chyfle i fwynhau gyrfa hir dymor, ond ni fydd angen cymwysterau ffurfiol er mwyn gwneud cais. Y cwbl fydd angen fydd trwydded yrru, ymroddiad i weithio’n galed, sgiliau gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid da a brwdfrydedd i weithio yn yr awyr agored - bydd Openreach yn darparu’r holl offer a hyfforddiant angenrheidiol. Clic yma am restr gyflawn o nodweddion y swyddi.
Ochr yn ochr â’r rhaglen recriwtio, mae Openreach wedi ymrwymo i gynnal lefelau amrywiaeth ethnig3 ONS ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig ac am gael o leiaf 20% o recriwtiaid peirianneg eleni yn fenywod, a 50% o’i benodiadau rheoli allanol i fod yn fenywod erbyn 2025. Mwy am ymrwymiadau Amrywiaeth & Cynhwysiad y cwmni yma.
Ar ben hynny, mae Openreach yn bwriadu ailhyfforddi dros 3,000 o’i beirianwyr dros y flwyddyn nesaf - wrth newid y ffocws o drwsio technolegau copr hŷn i osod a chynnal cysylltiadau ffeibr cyflymach. Y llynedd, agorwyd Canolfan Dysgu Cenedlaethol newydd Openreach yng Nghasnewydd yn swyddogol gan brif weinidog Cymru Mark Drakeford. Rhagwelir bydd yn hyfforddi hyd at 6,000 o beirianwyr newydd a chyfredol y cwmni o bob rhan o Gymru a gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig bob blwyddyn.
DIWEDD
[1] Openreach yn dilyn y llwybr i gyrraedd y 30 safon gwasanaeth a fynnwyd gan Ofcom, gan gofnodi Q3 gorau erioed ym meysydd ‘trwsio prydlon’ a ‘cyflenwi prydlon’. 91% o gwsmeriaid a holwyd wedi rhoi sgôr o 8 neu fwy allan o 10 i Openreach am fodlonrwydd cwsmeriaid.
[2] Rolau prentisiaeth newydd yn dechrau ar gyflog o £21,845 gan godi i hyd at £28,353 ar ôl 12 mis o hyfforddiant arbenigol er cyrraedd NVQ lefel 2, mewn un o ganolfannau hyfforddi modern Openreach.
3 Openreach wedi pennu targedau recriwtio lleiafrifoedd ethnig ar gyfer swyddi rheoli, talentau newydd ac aelodau tîm mewn rolau desg a maes ym mhob rhanbarth er mwyn adlewyrchu’r boblogaeth leol (data ar sail diffiniadau ONS). Y nod fydd adlewyrchu cynrychiolaeth lleiafrifoedd ethnig ym mhob rhanbarth a rhannu’r canlyniadau yn rheolaidd.
