Tech jobs boost for Wales in 2022

OPENREACH has announced it intends to create 250 additional jobs across Wales during 2022 – including in Powys.

As part of an investment into UK broadbands, networks, people and training, the company has promised to create and fill approximately 250 jobs throughout Wales, including over 200 apprenticeships.

New recruits will reportedly be based all across Wales, including Powys as well as areas such as Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.

Openreach has stated that this is part of the largest recruitment drive in the company’s history, as they look to fill more than 4,000 jobs across the UK, which it hopes will deliver improvements in customer satisfaction.

Last year the company recruited more than 600 women into trainee engineering roles, as part of its efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive team in a field that has been traditionally male dominated.

Clive Shelly, Openreach CEO, 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.”

Wales’ economy minister, Vaughn Gething, 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.”