Why you should consider a career in the red-hot Fibre industry
It’s becoming more common for jobseekers to carefully analyse the industries as well as the companies they’re applying to. All the economic uncertainty of the last few years has made this more important than ever. Ultimately, you want to know you’re going somewhere that’s growing, futureproofed, and provides plenty of opportunities.
One industry that ticks these boxes is the Fibre industry. Just to give you an idea of its rapid growth – the global Fibre market is predicted to be worth $6.74 billion this year, and over $10.5 billion by 2027.
There’s lots of other reasons why it’s a red-hot industry, and we’ll dive into some of these below. So, if you’re keen to have a career in Fibre, or simply want a bit more information on it, here are a few of the plus points.
Providing a purpose
A job is about more than just a salary. We all want to know we’re doing something meaningful.
If you’re looking for a career where you can have a real positive impact – on people, businesses and communities – then working in Fibre is one of the best decisions you could make. You’ll be playing your part in building essential infrastructure.
The importance of fast and reliable broadband is clear for everyone to see. It boosts connectivity, drives digital working and grows businesses. This in turn adds millions of pounds to local economies across the country.
The great thing is, your work won’t just have a short-term impact. For example, if you’re a Fibre Engineer, the cables you’re laying will be used for decades to come – so you know the benefits will be felt by future generations as well.
Ongoing opportunities
The earlier statistic about how much the market will grow, shows you there are lots of opportunities for jobseekers. This growth is something that we can also vouch for, given that we’re in the middle of a Britain-wide network build project.
You may have heard us mention it before – after all, helping CityFibre to deliver full fibre to 8 million premises across 100 towns and cities is a fairly big deal.
We're currently running a recruitment and training programme to fill up to 10,000 network construction jobs for this project. It’ll run until at least 2025, with opportunities to maintain and update the network going well beyond that. That’s another example of how the Fibre industry can provide you with consistent, long-term opportunities.
It's also an industry where you as an employee can grow and better yourself. For instance, lots of Civil Operatives quickly progress onto becoming Civil Supervisors.
Meanwhile, all of our opportunities come with a guarantee of ongoing training – CityFibre and our Build Partners are passionate about your professional development, so we’ll invest in it.
If you’re somebody who’s excited by the chance to progress from A to B to C (and a whole lot further!), then the Fibre industry is definitely worth looking at.
Promoted by policy makers
Back at the start of this blog, we mentioned how important it is to be in a futureproofed industry. One that can weather any storms and isn’t unstable or uncertain.
In the Fibre industry, there’s no uncertainty, as it has the backing of the UK government. They’ve set an official target for the entire country to have gigabit broadband by 2030, while also planning reforms that make building the infrastructure easier.
While much of the rollout is being funded by private operators like CityFibre, the government has pledged £5billion of funding themselves.
This combination of policy and pounds means that the Fibre industry is as close to a sure thing as you can get.
Multiple options for jobseekers
The sheer variety of roles needed for a fibre build programme means there’s something to suit all skills and working styles. Whether you prefer working in the streets or in an office, and whether your skills lie behind a screen or behind the wheel – there are job opportunities for you.
A fibre build programme needs Administrators, Quantity Surveyors, Fibre Engineers, Delivery Managers, Traffic Management Professionals, Planners – just to name a few!
In addition, there are plenty of transferable skills needed, which opens doors for people that aren’t currently working in Fibre. For example, people who’ve worked as a Supervisor in Telecoms, Utilities or Construction can find lots of opportunities to become a Civil or Fibre Supervisor in Fibre.
There are also vacancies at all levels, from those who are highly experienced, to those who are more junior. In fact, we have Build Partners that run trainee programmes – these combine both classroom training and practical experience so you can join the industry with no prior experience.
Multiple locations for jobs
Unlike some industries, Fibre doesn’t have the majority of its jobs concentrated in just a few major cities. Full fibre needs to be rolled out nationwide, so there are opportunities everywhere. If you’re willing to travel, you’ll certainly have lots of options – but even if you want to stay close to home, there is likely a build already underway near you.
We’ll use our network build project as an example. Our build partners currently have installations in over 60 cities across Britain, and this will end up rising to over 250, so it’s safe to say that work will be available on your doorstep.
Above average pay
In the very first point, we mentioned that a job is about more than just a salary. This is 100% true, but let’s be honest – pay is still pretty important.
The good news is that if you’re in the Fibre industry, your salary will be more than competitive. The Living Wage in the UK is £17,200 per year (before tax), but Fibre roles pay more than this. In fact, starting salaries for some roles can be more than £50,000, while all roles on our network build project are guaranteed to be above Living Wage rates.
There’s huge demand in the Fibre industry, so generally speaking, if you’ve got the skills and experience that are needed, you can command higher rates than in most other industries.
Here’s just one example. The average UK salary for a Programme Manager is £47,500. But in the Fibre industry, this jumps up to £65,000 – an increase of over 36% (correct as of July 2022).
The key takeaway
With so much investment and government backing, the Fibre industry is becoming one of the cornerstones of the UK economy. And whether it’s financial rewards, or the opportunity to turbocharge communities across the country – a career in Fibre has never been more sought after.
Thinking about your next role in this industry? Register for opportunities today!
