Delight at BT’s 500 jobs

STUART PIKE

ACCRINGTON is set for a major jobs boost after BT announced it will be recruiting for another 500 jobs in customer service.

The telecoms giant said the biggest beneficiaries will be the contact centres in Accrington, Swansea, Warrington and Doncaster. Other new jobs will be across the UK and Ireland.

BT is as yet unable to confirm how many of the 500 new roles will be created at Accrington’s Globe Centre base, but said the town will be a major beneficiary of new jobs by next March.

The vast majority of the roles will be frontline positions in customer care for BT Consumer.

Hyndburn council leader Miles Parkinson welcomed the announcement.

He said: “The news that BT is creating more jobs across the UK is something that we are really pleased about in Hyndburn. The Globe Centre is very professional, providing services for contact centres.

“This leads on from jobs creation and employment sites at Whitebirk and Junction 7. Of course we want the economy to move forward and create good jobs.”

BT currently employs 119 staff in Accrington and confirmed that the new jobs do not include 45 jobs relocated from Blackburn, announced back in August.

Mike Blackburn, regional director, said: “I’m pleased to confirm that BT’s contact centre in Accrington will be one of the main sites to benefit from this latest round of UK-wide recruitment.

“This is the perfect opportunity for people with a genuine passion for brilliant customer service looking for secure, wellpaid and flexible jobs with long term career prospects and excellent training in one of the UK’s top companies.”

In a statement, the company said: “The new roles are in addition to the previously- announced target of 1,000 UK and Ireland customer service jobs by the end of March 2017. The company will also be offering current Manpower agency staff the chance to convert their role into a permanent job working directly for BT.”