Openreach Opens Up Bradford Training School For Potential Female Engineers
Openreach’s training school in Bradford is throwing open its doors later this month (Sunday 23 June Midday – 2.30pm) in a bid to raise the profile of female engineers.
Openreach’s training school in Bradford is throwing open its doors later this month (Sunday 23 June Midday – 2.30pm) in a bid to raise the profile of female engineers.
Local families are being invited along to get a taste of life as an engineer as the training centre on Legrams Lane opens its doors to the public for the first time, and it’s being arranged to coincide with International Women in Engineering Day.
Anyone who’s interested in a career in engineering and lives locally is urged to come along to find out more. There will be female engineers on hand to talk through their experiences and to demonstrate some of the high-tech kit they use on a day-to-day basis.
The theme of the day is very much ‘having a go’, and there will be a chance to take part in various games and challenges linked to engineering. There will also be an opportunity to watch pole climbing and fibre splicing, as well as seeing what’s inside a typical Openreach engineering van.
Visitors will also be able to look around the newly-constructed “Open Street” – a meticulously designed mock-up of a typical suburban street. It gives new recruits and existing engineers the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills in an authentic, immersive and controlled environment.
Bradford engineer, Hollie Hutton, said: “A career in engineering is extremely rewarding and I’m hoping the open day will help more women realise that it’s a realistic option. It’s still a largely male-dominated career but times are most definitely changing, which can only be a good thing. There will be a few of us on hand on Sunday 23rd to talk through our own experiences, what made us choose a career in this sector, and to answer any questions that people might have.
“Being an engineer for Openreach is a fantastic job and one that I really enjoy. There can be a misconception that the physical side of the role makes it too challenging, but in reality it’s never been less so. With the modern tools and techniques we use, this career is now very much open to both men and women.
“My message to anyone who’s thinking about a career as an engineer, whether that be starting out from college or switching career at a later stage, is to come along to Bradford and find out more. It’s a fascinating job, you’re always working with brand new technology which is exciting, and there is huge satisfaction from problem solving and resolving complex issues.”
Openreach is working hard to attract a diverse workforce. Last year, more female engineers joined than in previous years. And recruitment of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people has risen nationally from 11 per cent in 2017 to 17 per cent in 2018.
Openreach employs around 2,300 people across Yorkshire, the majority of them engineers, and earlier this year announced a further 200 new recruits during 2019.
Most new recruits are tasked with Openreach’s key aim of delivering ultrafast broadband in homes and businesses across the UK and it was recently announced this programme has been extended to now reach 4 million premises by March 2021.
Kevin Brady, Openreach’s HR Director, said: “We are keen to be known as a company that men and women from all walks of life want to work for, and for our workforce to reflect the hugely diverse communities we serve throughout the UK.
“Engineering is a rewarding career and our recent investment in our training facilities means we’ll have more than doubled the learning days we deliver annually, to more than 160,000 people – the highest in the history of our business. This open day is a great opportunity to come and see for yourself what a career in engineering could look like.”
For more information about Openreach’s work, and career opportunities, visit openreach.co.uk.
