Rural focused UK ISP Quickline, which is deploying gigabit-capable broadband networks (FTTP and wireless) across remote parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England, has today announced that they’ve welcomed their first cohort of eight in-house trained telecoms apprentices to help build the new network.
In case anybody has forgotten. Quickline previously won four Project Gigabit contracts from the Government to help expand their network (here, here and here), which will bring full fibre broadband to almost 170,000 additional premises in some of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire’s hardest to reach rural areas (this rises to 360,000 when you include the provider’s complementary commercial build).
The aforementioned contracts also included a social value commitment, which is partly reflected by today’s move to foster more local talent from the regions in which they’re building. The first group of eight apprentices, aged from 18 through to mid-40s, formally joined the business in October – coming from a diverse range of backgrounds – and have already completed the initial phase of their training.
The apprentices are now gaining hands-on experience, shadowing qualified engineers in the field. But Quickline aren’t only investing to train up new engineers as apprentices, as their efforts also extend to other areas including IT support, finance, and HR.
Wendy Hiley, Quickline’s HR and Talent Acquisition Business Partner, said:
“Welcoming our first telecoms apprentices is an exciting moment for Quickline. As we continue to grow rapidly and expand our network, these new recruits are joining us at a pivotal time.
By offering structured apprenticeships, we’re not only investing in the future talent of our industry but also reinforcing our commitment to the communities we serve. Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for individuals to develop valuable skills while contributing to Quickline’s ambitious plans.”
Project Gigabit aims to help extend 1Gbps (download) capable networks to reach “nationwide” coverage (c. 99%) by 2030 (currently over 85%). Commercial investment has already delivered more than 80% of this, which leaves the government’s scheme to focus on tackling the final 10-20% (mostly rural and some suburban areas), where the private sector alone often fails. The project is technology neutral, but Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) is strongly favoured.