TalkTalk has partnered with the Department for Work and Pensions to give jobseekers free broadband for six months.
The Salford-based telecoms giant said it will roll out a new voucher scheme giving those looking for work free access to high-quality broadband.
The programme aims to tackle digital exclusion and remove barriers to employment across the Ƶ.
Daniel Kasmir, chief people and procurement officer at TalkTalk, said: “We believe that reliable broadband is a right not a privilege. However, many people across the Ƶ are struggling to access to the internet, with the effects of the pandemic leading to the number of Universal Credit claimants doubling within a year.
"The successful trial of this scheme in the North West demonstrates the value of broadband to those seeking jobs. Working with the DWP to roll this scheme out nationally supports our mission to democratise the internet and bring affordable, high-quality connectivity to everyone, helping to erase the Ƶ’s digital divide.”
The news comes after TalkTalk on Thursday announced 180 new jobs as its first wave of Kickstart graduates completed their placements.
The new scheme means jobseekers will be offered a no-contract voucher for six months of TalkTalk’s Fibre35 broadband.
The product’s usage is uncapped, meaning there are no data usage limits.
At the end of the six-month period, customers can choose to roll onto a contract with TalkTalk, or can cancel the service and will incur no additional costs or sign-up fees once it comes to an end.
Don't miss a thing - sign up for your free North West newsletter - and follow us on LinkedIn
Email newsletters
BusinessLive is your home for business news from around the North West- and you can stay in touch with all the latest news from Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria through our email alerts.
You can sign up to receive daily morning news bulletins from every region we cover and to weekly email bulletins covering key economic sectors from manufacturing to technology and enterprise. And we'll send out breaking news alerts for any stories we think you can't miss.
Visit our email preference centre to sign up to all the latest news from BusinessLive.
For all the latest stories, views, polls and more - and the news as it breaks - .
While DWP jobcentres remained open to support the most vulnerable in society throughout the pandemic, many of the training and job support was moved online – making an internet connection even more important, TalkTalk said.
As a result, TalkTalk and the DWP trialled the voucher in Greater Manchester and Cheshire at the start of the second Ƶ lockdown last year, to support jobseekers stuck at home.
Following a "successful trial" in the North West, which saw people secure new employment as well as undertake training opportunities, it is now rolling out the scheme on a national scale to all Jobcentre Plus work coaches to offer jobseekers.
Mims Davies, Minister for Employment, added: “We want to support jobseekers in any way we can on their journey to securing employment, which includes levelling up opportunities by making sure they are digitally connected and can access the full range of support offered by our Plan for Jobs and our JobHelp website.”
