Optical Services Ltd

Eighteen jobseekers from the Northeast all returned to work in May thanks to a Job Centre Plus funded training scheme to get people into work in the telecommunications sector.

EU Skills managed the scheme and the main training provider was Lucid Optical Services Ltd. The scheme lasted for over six months in all and included training in various telecommunications skills and safety, with work placements organised by Enterprise PLC.

The main thrust of the training was in copper cable jointing, cable installation, pole work and testing, all skills required to work in the ‘Local Loop’ telephone network. Lucid provided all training for the students on these topics and all achieved Open College Network certification at Level 2 in ‘D’ Side Cable Jointing and at Level 3 in Copper Cable Testing.

A presentation day was organised for the last day of the course, at the Enterprise Wide Open site to celebrate the achievement of the students and to present them with their certificates. In addition to the telecommunications awards, students were also presented with certificates for Confined Spaces, Safety Passport and NRASWA.

The majority of the students will be starting work with Enterprise PLC, who has a contract with BT in the Northeast. After a short presentation by Lucid Optical Services, BT National Contracts Manager, Ian Hill and Philip Hall the MD of Telecomms and Power Division Enterprise PLC made the presentations. Congratulations must go to all students, now engineers in the telecomms sector, for seeing through the six months of the scheme.