BT placement gave me the experience I needed

Through its Skills for Tomorrow programme, BT is helping 10 million people to make the most of life in the digital world. It’s completely free and designed to help everyone – from school children and teachers to parents and those with no or low digital skills, as well as job seekers and small businesses. Through it, BT has helped thousands of people like 23-year-old

Ross to get into work.

Here he explains how...

“I grew up playing football. I was lucky enough to do my hobby professionally for four years. I even moved to the States to play and to study.

“But when I returned to the UK, I didn’t have any work experience. I applied for the BT Work Ready programme, which is part of the Skills for Tomorrow initiative, via Indeed.com. I was already looking for BT apprenticeships, because I’d applied to be an Openreach engineer. I’d got through the tests and I was waiting to hear back. So I saw this as an opportunity to learn more about the company and develop my skills.

“I enjoyed shadowing an engineer as well as the training I received. I got lots of practical hands-on experience.

“I’d recommend the Work Ready programme as it’s a great way of showing potential employers you’re dedicating your own time to take part in something that will enhance your skills.

“I loved my experience with the programme. It was great as I had no experience of work before as I played football full-time, and when it didn’t work out I didn’t have a back-up plan. It helped get me ready for applying for jobs by helping me write my CV and get prepared for interviews.”