Highlights
Vorboss CEO, Tim Creswick, has been appointed Chair of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) Board. We work with the ITP to address the digital skills gap, creating over 300 jobs for Londoners and launching the Vorboss Academy to enhance industry diversity. We prioritise workplace diversity, with nearly 40% of our field-based Installation Team being women, reflecting a commitment recognised by The Sunday Times.
In an exciting development for the telecommunications industry, our CEO, Tim Creswick, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board of Directors at the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP).
This appointment recognises Tim's outstanding leadership in breaking down employment barriers and promoting equity, inclusion, and diversity within telecoms. With Tim leading the way, Vorboss has worked with the ITP over the years to employ apprentices from diverse backgrounds, fostering access and equality on a broader scale in the sector.
As the new ITP Chair, Tim will collaborate with regulators, government associations, and other leading bodies on projects crucial to the industry's future. He will also share best practices with global businesses and educational institutions, amplifying the positive impact of his initiatives.
Let's take a closer look at how Tim and our team at Vorboss are transforming the industry and empowering a new generation of professionals.
Expanding opportunities for Londoners
The ITP is a not-for-profit organisation addressing the UK's digital skills gap. They are changing the telecoms landscape by working with employers and the wider industry to build a sustainable and diverse workforce.
Vorboss aligns with this mission, taking a committed approach to building our team in a way that challenges the status quo. We collaborate with the ITP to tap into diverse talent pools and welcome telecoms industry newcomers, creating over 300 new jobs for Londoners.
Tim and Vorboss feel strongly that anyone with the right attitude should have the opportunity to build a career in telecoms. We’re working hard to break those barriers.
Vorboss Training Academy
The ITP helped us launch the Vorboss Academy in 2021 to increase our intake of apprentices. This accredited in-house programme gives those unfamiliar with telecoms the skills they need to kickstart a career in the industry.
We now have the industry's most diverse fibre installation team; nearly 40% of our field-based Installation Team are women. The ITP's emphasis on developing people and bridging skills gaps has been integral to the growth and success of our field team, with participants gaining qualifications, experience, and a robust professional network.
D&I at Vorboss
From the beginning, we have been committed to building a workplace that revolves around our people. Our recent recognition by The Sunday Times as one of the best places to work in the UK, especially for women, reflects that.
Diversity and accessibility in telecoms have long been crucial challenges. Tim has advocated for a proactive approach, noting, 'We're only going to change the face of the industry if we continue to attract a diversity of thought and talents in the coming decades.'
Attracting diverse talent is just the beginning; providing a supportive environment where all types of people can grow is vital to breaking barriers in a long-term, sustainable way. Our passionate team has been pivotal in cementing our position as the market leader in fibre connectivity; we firmly believe that people and culture are the bedrock of a thriving business.
Tim's vision
Tim's aim is to inspire change on a broader scale, leveraging his position to promote hiring based on attitude and training skills, as Vorboss has successfully done.
'I'm passionate about improving access, diversity, and equality in a traditionally rather stale sector. While we've been able to make great strides at Vorboss, the ITP role provides an agnostic platform from which I can champion these ideas across the industry, with a far greater reach than we could ever achieve as just one company.'
Stay tuned for more exciting developments as Tim Creswick, Vorboss, and the ITP continue to shape a vibrant and sustainable telecoms industry.
More Articles
Why wouldn’t we have a diverse workforce? Why shouldn’t inclusivity be the goal of the telecoms industry?
We’ve published our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy, and a core part of that is our commitment to reach gender parity across the company by 2028.
A major step towards achieving this breakthrough for the telecoms industry will be our commitment to reach 50/50 representation within technical and engineering positions by 2027. We’re currently at more than a third representation of women in those roles.
That puts us ahead of others in the telecommunications industry thanks to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.
Inclusion wasn’t an afterthought for us – we aimed for an inclusive approach and a diverse workforce right from the start.
And diversity isn’t limited to gender, so our policies are focused on ensuring inclusion for all people from all walks of life – and particularly those that have long been excluded from our industry.
Diversity works. It works for us, and it’s essential if the telecom industry is going to keep working.
By Rikshita Khela, Chief People Officer.
In today's digital world, unreliable business internet connections are costing businesses and damaging the UK economy.
Our recent Reliability and Compensation Report, authored by Assembly Research, using data from the ONS and a survey conducted by YouGov, revealed that: 51% of UK fixed business connectivity customers experienced an outage in the past year, but 61% of those affected never received compensation.
Your business internet service provider (ISP) should make promises (in the form of a robust and transparent Service Level Agreement (SLA)) about keeping your business connected.
If they won’t make contractual promises, that says a lot about their confidence in their network. Automatic compensation would hold them to account.
The reality of internet outages
Digital connectivity is a cornerstone of business operations, and the economic repercussions of poor connectivity are very real.
19% of businesses with a business internet contract experienced more than three outages in the past year.
Overall, the UK economy lost £17.6 billion due to fixed business connectivity outages in the past year, with London businesses alone losing £5.7 billion.
Even brief outages that might have been tolerated ten years ago significantly impact productivity today. We’re more reliant on connectivity than ever before. And that’s only going to increase.
Tim Creswick, Founder and CEO of Vorboss, says:
“ISPs should all be incentivised to compete on quality – that would force an uplift in network performance, and in turn drive a much-needed economic boost.”
The problem with getting money back
Even though connectivity outages are common, not many businesses receive compensation.
Only 35% of UK fixed business connectivity customers who experienced an outage in the last twelve months received compensation.
Based on a sample of current tariffs, a meagre average of only £7.53 in direct financial compensation would have been available for the average outage time.
Businesses depend on the internet for everything from internal functions, like cloud-based services, to external interactions with suppliers and customers, so it’s critical they can trust their internet to work.
Especially as our demands on internet infrastructure increase.
The power of the SLA
Many businesses are not aware of the promises—if any —that their internet provider has made, or what they should receive if there’s a problem.
23% of UK fixed business connectivity customers were unsure whether their contracts included SLAs, and 21% didn’t know if their contract specified compensation arrangements if certain service quality levels weren’t met.
This makes it hard for them to ask for money back when things go wrong and suggests that there's a significant change is needed in how internet providers talk to their business customers.
When asked why they hadn’t asked for compensation, 44% of UK fixed business connectivity customers believed the claim wasn't worth the time and effort.
34% didn't bother to ask because they didn’t expect to receive any compensation.
Customers should be the priority, and getting automatic compensation when things go wrong is one way to make sure they are treated fairly.
While being compensated for internet outages doesn't fully make up for lost productivity, clear promises and automatic money back when things go wrong are essential to ensure that networks are competing on quality. And they’re essential to enabling businesses to make an informed choice about the provider that’s best for them.
For detailed statistics and insights that can guide your decision-making, read the complete Reliability and Compensation Report.
