BT’s new state-of-the-art offices in the centre of Bristol have welcomed the first of the 2,500 workers who will be housed there.
Teams have started moving into the building, known as Assembly Bristol, with Metro Mayor Dan Norris getting an exclusive first look at the telecoms giant’s multi-million-pound investment in the city.
Three years in the making, the 190,000 sq ft building brings all BT’s South West teams under one roof for the first time and boasts smart building tech, flexible workspaces, shower and changing facilities for staff, a café and restaurant, and more. There’s even a buzzing wildflower meadow on the rooftop – a big win for the region’s precious pollinators.
In fact, Mr Norris also heard how the building has been designed with the environment in mind, with all the site’s heat supplied via heat pump, and it’s good news for BT Bristol’s walkers, cyclists and wheelers with top-notch facilities including 200 cycle spaces on offer.
But BT aren’t stopping there, their Head of the Nations and Regions Nick Speed explained to Mr Norris, with plans to add another 170 roles by April 2024 – a big boost for the city.
The aim is to recruit locally – hiring the best of the West, with a particular focus on apprentices and graduates, and women returning to work with roles in areas like AI and software engineering up for grabs.
Mr Norris said the truly world-class facilities will be key in attracting and retaining world-class talent. Dan Norris, West of England Metro Mayor, who met some of BT’s newest recruits including graduates and apprentices working in the company’s digital section, said: “It’s great to see BT’s new offices opening in the heart of Bristol. This will bring jobs and growth to the local area and is a vital part of the ongoing transformation of Temple Quarter – one of the most exciting regeneration projects in Europe. Nick and the team have built a new, modern workspace and this demonstrates how firms can combine tech and smart ways of working to really benefit their number one asset – their workforce. This will be key in tapping into the talent we know we have in abundance in the West of England, as well as attracting the brightest and best from across the length of the country to make our amazing region even better”.
Construction started in early 2019 on the formerly derelict site off Temple Way as part of the multi-million Temple Quarter regeneration scheme led by Mr Norris’s West of England Combined Authority.