VodafoneThree has announced it is bringing 400 customer contact jobs back to the UK, marking the biggest recruitment drive for VodafoneThree brands both prior to, and since, the merger.

The roles, delivered by partner Concentrix, will focus on Vodafone and Three specialist care and sales, with 200 based in Belfast and 200 in Sheffield. Recruitment has already started and training of new agents is underway in Belfast.

Set to be trained in a variety of skills including assisting vulnerable customers, these new recruits will add to the 830+ Vodafone and Three customer specialists based in the existing Stoke and Glasgow locations, as the business serves UK customers from UK towns.

VodafoneThree is investing in all regions, with its mission to build the UK’s best network set to boost connectivity and economies in local towns and cities, leaving no community behind.

Across the UK, around 9,000 engineering, construction and maintenance jobs will be created through the business’s £11 billion investment, rising to 13,000 during the peak of the build.

Building a 5G Standalone network is estimated to add over £2.9 billion in mean economic output in Northern Ireland and £6.4 billion in Yorkshire and The Humber over the next ten years.

Jon Shaw, Consumer Operations, VodafoneThree, said: “We firmly believe in having care teams where our customers are, and that means having teams based across the UK. It’s an exciting time to join VodafoneThree as we build the UK’s best network and set new standards for customer care in the industry.”

Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment, said: “This is a major boost for our digital and tech sector, which will not only create over 400 jobs in Sheffield and Belfast but open up new opportunities for local communities and put more money in people’s pockets. Our modern Industrial Strategy is all about unleashing the potential of our cities and regions, so it’s great to see VodafoneThree investing and creating opportunity in every part of the country.”