BT unveils plans to create 500 jobs in the UK and Ireland

Telecom giant aims to answer 90% of its customers' calls in the UK and Ireland.

BT Openreach slow internet service — BT said it will create 500 jobs across the UK. Reuters

Telecoms giant BT on Monday has unveiled plans to create 500 jobs across its contact centres in the UK and Ireland, as it reiterated its commitment to answer 90% of its customers' calls in the UK and Ireland.

In a statement released on Monday (12 December), the FTSE 100-listed group said the new roles are in addition to the previously-announced target of 1,000 service jobs across the UK and Ireland by the end of March 2017.

The vast majority of the roles will be front-line positions in customer care for BT Consumer, the company said. The biggest beneficiaries will be the contact centres in Swansea, Warrington, Doncaster and Accrington.

The company will also be offering current Manpower agency staff the chance to convert their role into a permanent job working directly for BT.

"We are proud to be creating these new jobs in the UK and Ireland," said Libby Barr, managing director of customer care at BT Consumer.

"BT is completely changing the way we serve our customers in order to boost our service levels.

"We are going to answer 90% of our customers' calls in the UK and Ireland by the end of March, and we have been taking on great people to fill full time jobs working for BT."