BT4ME - FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a query about the status of your application,
please email openreach.recruitment@bt.com

1) In which locations are you recruiting apprentices?
We are recruiting nationwide, so please
ensure you complete your application.
View the full list of locations here.

We are looking to recruit NOW for the following roles;

Customer Engineering & Delivery Apprenticeships

Customer Service Advisor & Management (Retail) Apprenticeships
– Based in Newcastle

APPLY NOW

2) What apprenticeships do you offer?
We currently offer apprenticeships in:

Customer Engineering and Delivery
The engineering apprenticeship will give you the opportunity to be part of our engineering teams delivering excellent service to our customers and end users. Being part of our Service Delivery team, you will receive the technical training required to be able to maintain and install telephone and broadband services over our network, and will also have interactions with our end users in private home and business premises, as part of your role. There are 2 types of apprenticeships in this area, for an Advanced Apprenticeship you must have a minimum of 4 GCSE’s A to D Grades (including English & Maths). For a Higher Apprenticeship, you will also need 2 A Levels at grade A-C.

Customer Engineering and Delivery – Northern Ireland
You will join our 24 month apprentice programme working with the Networks team across various locations in Northern Ireland. These roles are ideal for individuals who want to build a career in engineering with a world class organisation. Your responsibilities will include installation and repair of a range of communication products on copper and fibre networks, both underground and aerial. You will receive first- in-class training and mentoring to support you in your role. You will need 3 GCSE’s at grade D or above (applicants must have Maths, English Science or IT related discipline), a full clean driving licence and the ability to climb and work in confined spaces.

Customer Service Advisor & Management (Retail)
The apprenticeship positions are within BT Business which provides the UK’s small and medium businesses with a range of communications solutions. You will take calls from these BT Business customers, making sure every customer gets the best possible level of service, from the initial request for help until the issue is resolved. Where problems occur you will be taking ownership to quickly fix them whilst keeping our customer fully up to date with progress. To apply you must have a minimum of 4 GCSEs A to C Grade (including English & Maths).

Customer Service Advisor & Management (Retail) – Based in Newcastle
The apprenticeship positions are to work in our Newcastle call centre in our MY Help and support Technical Management Team, talking to our BT customers giving technical advice, whilst offering world class Customer Service to our TV Customers. To apply you must have a minimum of 4 GCSEs A to C Grade (including English & Maths).

Customer Vehicles and Logistics
To apply you must have a minimum of 5 GCSEs A to C Grade (including English, Maths).

Software Engineering (IT) - Various Locations in the UK
The software engineering apprenticeship will involve the application of design, development, testing and support. You’ll be involved in our customer delivery and engineering environments, and so will actively contribute to our customers’ networks. You will learn how to write software code in a variety of languages, and will have opportunities to experience many different work areas of BT. All this will develop and evolve your new software skills for use in an ever increasing variety of different applications. To apply you must have a minimum of 5 GCSEs A to C Grade (including English, Maths & IT).

Customer Design & Support (IT) - Based in Adastral Park Ipswich
To apply you must have a minimum of 5 GCSEs A to C Grade (including English & Maths) & 2 A Levels at grade A-C.

Being part of the BT apprentice community enables you to take advantage of continuous development and learning, ensuring your skills are kept up to date. For example, there are opportunities to participate in technical conferences and master classes on a variety of topics.

Being part of the ever-growing software engineering teams will give you the chance to get involved in the complete software development life cycle, including application design, development, testing and support. Being involved in our customer delivery and engineering environments will give you the opportunity to complete activities on our customers networks.

To thrive as a BT apprentice in any of these roles, you’ll need to be excited about how technology will shape our future. We will teach you how to write and solve complex problems, following industry best practices like test-driven development and continuous integration and testing. We’re looking for people who are willing to learn, enjoy working as part of a team and are excited by the challenge of achieving the seemingly impossible.

3) What is the closing date for applications?
There is no closing date. We recruit in various locations all year round, so please complete an application form here to be considered for our apprenticeships – APPLY NOW

4) What happens to my application once I have completed it?
It will remain on our system and be reviewed if a suitable vacancy comes up in your area.

5) What qualifications do I need?
This depends on the vacancies we have on offer, but you’ll need a minimum of English Language and Maths at GCSE grade D or above plus at least 2 or 3 other GCSE subjects at the same grades. These must be standalone qualifications, not contained within other qualifications. For some vacancies you will also need 2 A levels at grade C or above.

6) Do I need to list all my qualifications in the online form?
Yes please; we need to see all qualifications you have taken - type, subject, level, grade and year.

7) Can I apply if I only have a student visa or limited right to remain in the UK?
No. To be eligible for our Apprenticeship you need to have permanent right to work in the UK.

8) Can I retake the quizzes?
No. This would be unfair to other applicants.

9) What is the difference between an advanced and a higher Apprenticeship?
The entry criteria for an advanced Apprenticeship is GCSE/level two. The Apprenticeship will then be at level three e.g. BTEC (equivalent to A-level). A higher Apprenticeship requires all the entry criteria for an advanced Apprenticeship but in addition you will need 2 level three qualifications at grade C or above. The higher Apprenticeship will study for a level four or five qualification (foundation degree level)

10) Are there any age restrictions?
Only that you need to be of at least minimum school leaving age when you start your Apprenticeship.

11) Do I need to have a driving licence?
For some of our Apprenticeships it is necessary for you to have a full manual motor vehicle UK driving licence before you start. For others you may be required to obtain one, at your own expense, within a year of you joining or your 17th birthday, whichever is sooner. For some vacancies you won't need one at all.

12) What if I did not take my qualifications in the UK?
You will need to prove that your qualifications are the equivalent to UK ones. There are a number of companies who will provide a letter of comparability e.g. NARIC. The NARIC website can be found at www.NARIC.org.uk. Please note companies will make a charge for this service.

13) I only have a statement of results for my GCSE’s/A Level’s, is this OK?
I’m afraid not. We can only accept the original certificates or a certified statement of results. Please check the certificates carefully. If you do not have the original certificates you will need to go the Examining Board to get copies. Please note each examining board will charge you for this service.

14) I am currently completing my GCSE or A level exams and only have a statement of results or predicted grades, can I still apply?
Yes, though any offers of employment cannot be made until exams have been completed and certificates have been received.

15) I am a current BT Employee; can I still apply?
Possibly. Ask your Manager to talk to the BT Apprentice Team about internal opportunities.

16) I am a Contractor/Agency person with BT; can I still apply?
Yes. As you are not directly employed by BT you can apply as normal.

17) I have received an email saying my scores were too low on the quizzes. What does this mean?
It means you have not met the minimum standard required. We have set these levels in line with the standard required to achieve the BTEC and other academic programmes within the Apprenticeship.

18) Why do you only accept qualifications at grade D or above?
You need to be educated to that level to be able to complete the Technical Certificate & NVQ elements of the scheme.

19) I am no longer interested in the Apprenticeship how do I remove my application?
Send an email to the Recruitment Team openreach.recruitment@bt.com explaining why you are no longer interested. They will make a note on your application.

20) I have a criminal record which I didn't declare on my application, what should I do?
Send an email to the Recruitment Team openreach.recruitment@bt.com explaining what has happened. If you are offered a job with BT you are required to complete a criminal record check. If this reveals a criminal record that you failed to declare it may result in disciplinary action including dismissal.

21) I have moved address since I applied - How can I amend this?
Send an email to the Recruitment Team openreach.recruitment@bt.com. They will make a note on your application.

22) I have been invited to a recruitment hub day. What does this involve?
At the hub day you will be able to understand more about BT and the Apprenticeships on offer in your area. We’ll ask you to join in with some activities, some in groups with other applicants, and some on your own. These are designed to check whether a BT apprenticeship would be right for you.

23) What paperwork do I need to take to the recruitment hub day?
When you get your invitation there will be a list of documents we’ll need to see. If you don’t bring them we may have to exclude you from the event, and your application may stop here. Typically you will need to bring a full in date passport, your driving licence (the card and counterpart) a utility bill or bank statement proving your address in your name. Most importantly you need to bring evidence of all your qualifications this must be the original certificates NOT provisional statements of results. We’ll clarify all this when we send the invitation to the hub day.

24) I have been invited to a recruitment hub day but now can't attend what should I do?
Call the phone number on your recruitment hub day invite, to let them know. If you are still interested they may be able to put you on another day if there are more hubs in your area for the relevant Apprenticeships. We can’t guarantee to offer you another place.

25) I can't find the venue for the recruitment hub, what can I do?
Please refer to the map that was attached to your invitation. If you are still unable to find it please ring the number on your recruitment hub day invite. They will help you to find it.

26) I have been invited to a recruitment hub day but can't find all my paperwork. Should I still attend?
Ring the number on your recruitment hub day invite, to explain. Unfortunately in most cases you will not be able to attend.

27) What is the dress code for the recruitment hub day?
The dress code is smart casual. We recommend trousers/ skirt/ shirt /blouse. Jeans, T-shirts and trainers are not acceptable. Remember you are presenting yourself to BT.

28) I haven't had a confirmation email with details of my recruitment hub day, what do I do?
If you have not received an email 3 days before the hub day send an email to the Recruitment Team openreach.recruitment@bt.com They will investigate and send one to you. Check in your Junk Email box before just in case.

29) How will I know the outcome of my recruitment hub - if I have been successful or not?
You may not hear anything for a few weeks if there are more hubs running in your area. Then we’ll either call you or send you an email letting you know the outcome.

30) If I have not been successful how do I get feedback from my recruitment hub day?
Send an email to openreach.recruitment@bt.com to request your feedback. It needs to be titled Recruitment Hub Day Feedback and you need to put on it your full name, the date you attended a hub day and where it was. Please also note we will not give feedback until all the hub days are completed which may be quite some time later.

31) How do you select candidates for Recruitment Hub Days?
When we identify a vacancy we conduct a search of the local area. Each application is then rated against the type of job and how you scored in your online form. The best candidates are then invited to attend the hub. Your application plays a vital role in the selection process as we use your quiz scores, your qualifications and your answer to the written question to mark you. To stand the best chance of being selected your application must be of the highest quality.

32) Will BT pay for my travel to the recruitment hub day?
No. All travel/parking costs have to be paid by applicants.

33) How long does the Apprenticeship last?
It depends upon the type of job you are selected for. Please discuss this with your interviewer.

34) Can I continue my college course whilst doing the Apprenticeship?
The Apprenticeship is full time: 36 hours per week Monday to Friday, and you may be required to attend courses away from home.

35) What does the Apprenticeship involve?
It depends upon the type of Apprenticeship and type of job you are doing. Typically, you will complete a Technical Certificate (which may be a BTEC for an advanced Apprenticeship, or a Foundation Degree for a higher Apprenticeship) and an NVQ, plus all safety and technical on the job training.

36) What is the starting salary and how much does it go up?
Salary is dependent upon the type of role you are offered. You will need to discuss this with the person who interviews you and it will be clearly shown in any contract sent to you. Increases are determined by your performance against set milestones throughout the Apprenticeship.