Telecommunications firm BT is recruiting a further 250 engineers from outgoing armed forces personnel to its local access project Openreach.

Early this summer it had previously committed to taking on 400 new recruits for Openreach, which it told Recruiter it hoped to fill solely with ex-military personnel. This new recruitment drive will take such hires to a total of over 1,000.

Serving personnel due to leave the armed forces within the next year have received communication from the Ministry of Defence’s Career Transition Partnership (CTP) with an offer to spend three months with Openreach on a civilian attachment. At the end of that period, assuming all criteria are met and if they wish to, they will be able to take up the offer of a new career with Openreach when leaving the armed forces.

Openreach chief executive Liv Garfield says: “We have had great success in recruiting talented people with armed forces experience in the past so we are delighted to be able to offer these roles to people who are set to leave the forces. Past recruits have brought great enthusiasm and professionalism with them and I have no doubt the new recruits will as well.”

CTP managing director David Duffy adds: “Through the fantastic relationship we have developed with Openreach the CTP has gained a real understanding of the needs of the organisation, resulting in a success rate at interview of over 80% for our service leavers. The response to the offer of a three-month work attachment has been tremendous and will be invaluable experience for those service leavers taking part.”