Showcasing the Best of Welsh Business

DEFAULT GROUP

Developing a Workforce to Truly Connect Wales

Datblygu Gweithlu i Gysylltu Cymru’n Wirioneddol

SHARE
,

Gymraeg

Connie Dixon is Partnerships Director at Openreach, which is responsible for building, maintaining, and running the UK’s largest phone and broadband network. She leads on partnerships, commercial contracts and stakeholder relationships as part of the Strategic Infrastructure Development team.  

Connie talks to Business News Wales in this audio interview about the importance of training and professional development to build a team for now and in the future.

She says: “Investing in our own people is absolutely crucial. The way we ensure that we offer the best learner journey for new recruits is to make sure that we have world-class training.”

But, Connie also says that the ‘right attitude’ is crucial for training.

We can take people with no experience at all. This starts with unlocking everyone’s full potential. Whether you’re a learner or a senior – we want to make sure that everyone gets the right opportunity.”

Openreach works across three main areas: co-funded broadband projects with national and local government (Building Digital UK); Openreach’s own commercial full-fibre investment; and Fibre Community Partnerships – where it co-funds with communities, often using government-funded vouchers, to build networks in locations outside commercial or subsidised programmes.

“The individual is in the driving seat,” says Connie, who stresses that Openreach offers a tailored service for new learners, adding that the company’s people are its ‘greatest asset’.

Connie manages a team of partnership and engagement managers who work with local authorities, community leads and national governments to identify places that would benefit from better broadband, secure the funding sources and design broadband solutions.

Openreach also has a flagship training centre in Newport, where 13,000 learning days take place each year. Here you’ll find 14 classrooms for engineers to learn new skills, and even an ‘Open Street’ where they can put their skills into action in a real-life, safe and controlled mock urban environment.

If your business is keen to recruit new, or upskill existing employees – visit Business Wales to explore Welsh Government support programmes such as apprenticeships.

Business News Wales