Jobs set to be created in Yorkshire as BT expands scheme

Openreach said it recently received 26,000 applications for 1,600 engineering jobs.

The new posts will mainly be based in London, Surrey and Aberdeen, with around half the new intake working on customer service.

Some of the recruits will work on extending fibre broadband to new housing developments and installing an ultra-fast service for medium and large businesses.

Joe Garner, chief executive of Openreach, said: “We’ve had a terrific response to our previous recruitment campaign.

“Our fibre broadband rollout is making a really positive contribution to the lives and business of people right across Britain.

“Broadband growth is great for our customers and for Britain. These new engineers will help ensure that Openreach continues to meet and exceed the rising demands of our customers in an internet age.”

The news comes as parcel carrier Yodel is creating 5,000 full and part-time jobs in preparation for the busy Christmas period.

The posts include warehouse staff, drivers and self-employed van drivers and couriers as well as managers and admin staff.

Yodel said it expects to handle up to a million parcels a day over the festive period.

Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, said: “This is a key time for our retail clients and their shoppers.”

Elsewhere David Cameron has welcomed a £190 million investment by Ford as a “vote of confidence” in the Government’s economic plan.

The extra investment, which includes £8.9 million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, is for the production of new low-carbon diesel engines for cars and vans at the motoring giant’s Dagenham plant.