Cornish broadband provider Wildanet has opened a new centre of excellence in the Duchy.
The Liskeard-based firm will providing technical training for the next generation of telecommunications engineers at its Wildanet Technical Training Academy.
Wildanet, founded in 2017 to bring high-speed internet to rural and hard-to-reach areas in the South West, is growing its fibre broadband network in the region and creating more than 180 direct jobs to date, with plans to recruit up to a further 200. The company hopes the academy will support this rollout and creation of local jobs.
The facility, based at Wildanet’s Westbourne House headquarters, was officially opened by South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray, who described the project as “inspirational”.
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Ms Murray said: “Wildanet’s ambition, values and forward-thinking approach is transforming digital connectivity in Cornwall, creating inward investment, much-needed quality jobs locally and supporting the Government’s wider strategy to roll-out gigabit-enabled broadband nationally.
“It is incredibly exciting to see a Cornwall-based business become such a leading advocate for new technology and the social and economic opportunities this brings. I applaud Wildanet for the work they are doing to connect communities across Cornwall and Devon and for their far-sighted investment in developing this inspirational new Academy.”
Helen Wylde, Wildanet chief executive said: “When we launched Wildanet, we made a pledge to not only bridge the digital divide, but to also offer rewarding career opportunities for the communities that we serve and create a lasting legacy for future generations.
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“The Academy is at the heart of this pledge and its official opening is a milestone moment, not only for Wildanet but for Cornwall and the South West. I want to acknowledge and praise the hard work and dedication of all those within the Wildanet team and our partners who have helped make it a reality.”
Julie-anne Sunderland, chief people officer for Wildanet, added: “It became clear to us early on that if we wanted to achieve our ambition for high quality, meaningful employment and skills training for our local community, we needed to develop our own facility and work with partners to design bespoke programmes which met the unique requirements of our business.
“To date, without travelling outside of the county, there has not been an opportunity for anyone in Cornwall to access the type of training facilities and programmes that our Academy is now able to deliver. It’s a first for Cornwall and opens the door to a wealth of career opportunities, whilst enabling us to maintain the expert skills of our existing workforce without them having to travel away from home.”
The Academy is led by engineer and tutor Ian Carmichael, supported by a team of instructors and mentors across the business. Apprentices also hone their skills at Truro and Penwith College’s new multi-million-pound state-of-the-art STEM and Health Skills Centre in Bodmin.
In addition to its significant rollout in Cornwall, Wildanet is now working in more than 15 areas across Devon after announcing a full scale move into the county in June 2023, including the opening of a new office and logistics centre in Bideford.
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