BT doubles number of apprentices
BT is to double its intake of apprentices this autumn after being swamped with thousands of applications for the training posts.
The telecoms giant had 24,000 applicants for 221 positions this year compared with 9,000 last year.
BT said it decided to double the number of places as a result of the response and because it wanted to train young people to help deliver fibre optic broadband over the next few years.
The second wave of recruitment will see BT's Openreach division recruit more than 200 further staff by Christmas as the firm marked the 50th anniversary of its apprenticeship scheme.
BT apprentices specialise in either IT, telecoms, electrical systems or customer service and studying for a BTec or foundation degree. The firm said it would put them to work on its multi-million-pound project to install fibre optic broadband across the country.
More than two million homes and business premises have access to fibre optic broadband, increasing to four million by the end of the year, with BT planning to pass 10 million in 2012 and two-thirds of properties - about 16.5 million sites - in 2015.
