BT Group to recruit 84 graduates and apprentices in Suffolk

BT Group has announced plans to recruit more than 80 apprentices and graduates in Suffolk as part of its September 2023 intake.

The 84 new roles will be primarily based at BT Group’s Adastral Park base in Martlesham, near Ipswich, with 42 graduate roles and 42 apprenticeships being introduced.

The company will recruit talent in the county across areas as diverse as Cyber Security, Network Engineering and Data Analysis to support the UK’s fast-growing digital sectors.

The new recruits will also support the company’s plans to build and extend its 5G network around the UK.

BT has named Ipswich as one of its key long-term strategic locations and Adastral Park is home to its research and development labs and boasts partnerships with key local organisations including the Innovation Martlesham Tech Cluster and the University of Suffolk.

Daniel McHugh, previously joined BT Group’s apprenticeship programme and is based at Adastral Park. He said: “Anyone who visited BT Group’s Robotics festival will tell you that Adastral park, our global research headquarters, and the amazing people who work here have an undeniable charm.

"As a bright-eyed youngster, I was inspired by the incredible innovation I witnessed on my first visit to Adastral and immediately bought into BT Group’s purpose of connecting for good.”

BT Group is one of the UK’s largest private sector apprenticeship employers and has recruited more than 2,600 apprentices and graduates over the past four years. The company has around 4,000 colleagues working towards their qualifications at any given time.

The latest recruitment of apprentices and graduates builds on the more than 3,000 BT employees based in Suffolk.

Athalie Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer, BT Group said: “As one of the largest private sector employers of apprentices and graduates in the UK, we continue to recruit and attract brilliant people into our business and we offer unparalleled development opportunities to those who join us.

“Despite the current economic backdrop, we’re building a future pipeline of talent to help drive growth across our business, deliver great outcomes for all of our customers and to underpin economic growth in the UK.”

In 2022, BT Group was ranked third in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK and as part of its Manifesto for responsible, inclusive, and sustainable growth the company has pledged to build a more diverse talent pool.

Alongside its apprenticeship and graduate scheme opportunities, BT Group is investing in several initiatives to support young people and jobseekers. These include Work Ready and FastFutures which have already helped thousands of young people kickstart their careers, providing opportunities for young people looking to launch their careers and preparing them for the world of work.

For more information on how to apply for an apprenticeship or graduate job at BT Group, please visit here.

Work Ready and FastFutures form part of BT Group’s ambition to help 25m people in the UK develop the skills they need to make the most of life in the digital world by 2026 and to build a diverse digital talent pipeline for the business and the UK.