Telecommunications giant BT is promising to create 1,000 jobs in Birmingham as it launches a new regional hub in the city.
The company announced last year it had struck a 20-year deal for 283,000 sq ft of office space across 12 floors in the 17-storey Three Snowhill building.
The move is part of the company's 'Better Workplace Programme' which was announced in summer 2019 and will see its UK estate of around 300 buildings consolidated into 30 sites including a group regional 'super offices'.
Alongside consolidating teams into new large offices, other existing buildings will be retained and refurbished.
Reports suggested the company was seeking savings of £1.5 billion as it slashed costs across its property portfolio.
BT will eventually base around 3,500 staff at Three Snowhill from across the group including its digital network business Openreach and this is the first of the company's new regional hubs outside of London to open.
The firm said it planned to hire around 1,000 new people to work in the office with recruitment for the first 225 of those now under way.
The relocation was due to begin at the turn of this year but the plans were hampered by the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
The new hub is operating a hybrid model, with staff working between home and the office while the new building has a ground floor café open to the public, event spaces and a bike service centre to encourage employees to cycle to work.
BT Group chief executive Philip Jansen said: "This is our first major regional hub site to open outside London and is a marker of how BT is transforming to meet the needs of our colleagues and our customers. It's also a statement that we're serious about the levelling up agenda.
"While our head office remains in London, we are committed to creating more opportunities and basing key operations in other areas of the UK too.
"A number of our senior leaders are now based here in Birmingham as well as colleagues from across the business in a wide variety of roles.
"Three Snowhill epitomises what we are trying to achieve through our new workspaces and we continue to work towards that vision of providing future-fit, inspiring offices where people can collaborate, innovate and ultimately deliver the best for our customers and the best for our business."
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street added: "It really is fantastic to see BT complete their switch to a new flagship office at Three Snowhill with the first of their colleagues moving in.
"Not only is it a huge sign of confidence in the West Midlands that a company of BT's size and stature is investing in and committing to our region but it is also brilliant news for people's livelihoods with around one thousand new jobs to be created."
