BT Openreach turns to VR to entice next-generation of network engineers

Trainees to see for themselves what the job is like before they start

BT's Openreach division - that ill one day become an independent entity - plans to hire 1,500 new engineers over the next 12 months and will use virtual reality (VR) to entice them to the role.

The company said that the 360-degree VR experience it has developed will give trainee engineers the chance to see first-hand what the job entails, such as climbing telegraph poles, working in the local exchange or at a roadside cabinet.

Kevin Brady, HR director for Openreach, said using VR was a great way to give those interested in a career at the company a view into what some elements of the job may be like.

"Everyone wonders what it might be like to work for a company when they apply for a job, but we're giving people the ability to physically see it and experience it for themselves," he said.

"Becoming an engineer can be a very rewarding career choice, and of course some aspects of the job are both mentally and physically challenging. We know for example that climbing a pole for the first time can be daunting for new recruits, and that's why we wanted to give people a real insight into what's involved."

The videos are available on YouTube and can be watched on any compatible VR headset.

BT hopes to take on 119 new recruits in April followed by around 60 a week through the rest of the year to reach its target.

Openreach chief executive Clive Selley said that adding to its workforce was necessary to ensure it can meet its commitment to improving customer service.

"Our customers need us to install new lines and repair our network faster than ever, and by increasing the number of people working on proactive network maintenance, we can fix more issues before people even notice them," he said.

"We are also continuing to roll out superfast broadband services at scale and making big investments in our network to make ultrafast broadband available to up to 12 million homes by the end of 2020.

"We want to recruit the very best people to help us on that journey and our new trainee engineering roles will offer people the hands-on experience they need to succeed."