London,
13
April
2014
|
23:00
Europe/London

EE outlines plans for a 'Better Britain' in latest responsibility report.

  • EE publishes latest UK Responsibility Report sharing progress towards 2015 goals
  • Company reveals plans to hold EE National Techy Tea Party Day in all of its stores and with charity and corporate partners to help tackle digital exclusion across the UK
  • EE increases focus on addressing youth unemployment by boosting apprenticeship scheme 

14 April 2014 – EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today published the company’s 2013 Responsibility Report outlining its ‘Better Britain’ plan to help communities across the UK to prosper by addressing digital exclusion and youth unemployment. The report provides a progress update on EE’s responsibility programme and headline 2015 goals including:

  • Maintaining its goal to improve the digital skills of one million people so they can  benefit from the significant quality of life improvements that connectivity brings
  • Introducing an expanded goal to bring 1,500 young people into employment, boosting its original apprenticeship goal from 500, which was surpassed this week, to 1,300 and launching a new work inspiration programme
  • Updating on its aim to reduce waste and carbon emissions by 50%, outlining progress and adjusted targets to reflect current performance

Olaf Swantee, CEO at EE said: “Having a positive impact on the communities around us is key to our business. It’s one of the reasons that we pioneered 4G for Britain. By investing in our voice network and delivering superfast 4G services that now reach over 70% of the population – we have enabled the UK to catch up and overtake countries around the world.

“For us to continue to build this infrastructure, and deliver further benefits to the UK, we want people up and down the country to join us, stay with us, and for our communities to be prosperous. Delivering this will not only be beneficial for our company – but for the country and the people and businesses of Britain too.”

Improving digital skills

EE has made good progress in 2013 in its aim to improve the digital skills of one million people, in partnership with digital skills charity Go ON UK. Key progress includes:

  • One in five customers who interact with EE in-store or online report an improvement in digital skills, according to a TNS survey
  • 138,000 e-safety advice brochures have been delivered to customers via its retail stores
  • 160,000 visits have been recorded to its digital skills consumer and business websites that help people improve their own digital skills and those of their friends, families and colleagues
  • 1,069 people attended digital skills sessions with EE employee volunteers in more than 100 digital skills sessions such as EE Techy Tea Parties, with 95% of attendees saying they learned about technology and 89% saying they are more likely to use technology following the session

EE National Techy Tea Party Day

EE’s Techy Tea parties have today been awarded a Prime Minister’s Big Society Award. Building on this success, EE today also announced plans to launch EE National Techy Tea Party Day where EE employee volunteers will host guests in all EE stores, offices and contact centres on 9 September 2014. 

EE is also working with charity and corporate partners to hold Techy Parties in their offices, and the company plans to create a host of resources for anyone up and down the country to host Techy Tea Parties in their community.  Guests at Techy Tea Parties will sit down with volunteers to learn basic online skills, such as sending emails and texts, searching online and on their phones, filling out forms online and through apps, and staying safe online.

To find out more, visit www.ee.co.uk/ttpday

 

Boosting youth employment

Last year, EE announced plans to offer 500 15-month long apprenticeships in its business by the end of 2015. By the end of 2013, EE had far exceeded plans by welcoming 463 apprentices into its business. Earlier this year, it announced plans to expand the apprenticeship programme to welcome 1,300 apprentices into its business by the end of 2015. The company is also piloting a new work inspiration programme, and announced plans to re-shore 1,000 customer service roles to the UK.

EE’s apprenticeship programme has been recognised by the Deputy Prime Minister at the Opening Doors Awards for Best Recruitment scheme and by National Apprenticeship Service, receiving highly commended in regional awards and featuring in their Top 100 Employer List.

Other report highlights

  • In 2013, EE reduced its carbon emissions by 9% and waste to landfill by 45% compared to 2012. In line with current forecasts, it has revised its carbon emissions target to a 30% reduction against its 2010 baseline and is retaining its 50% waste reduction target against its 2011 baseline.
  • The company established an External Advisory Board, chaired by Marc Allera, EE’s Chief Commercial Officer and Stephen Harris, Chief Corporate and Strategy Officer. The board meets bi-annually and is composed of senior business leaders and sustainability specialists.
  • EE reviewed priority risk areas and increased its focus on Customer Privacy and Data Protection.

To view the full report, visit www.ee.co.uk/being-responsible

- ENDS -

 

For more information, please contact the EE press office on:

ee@nelsonbostock.com

0845 373 7070

 

About EE

EE is the largest and most advanced digital communications company in Britain, delivering mobile and fixed communications services to consumers, businesses, government and the wholesale market. With approximately 15,000 employees and 600 retail stores, EE serves more than 27 million customers on EE, Orange and T-Mobile mobile and broadband plans.

EE runs the UK's biggest and fastest mobile network, having introduced the UK's first superfast 4G mobile service in 2012. EE's 4G coverage today reaches more than 60% of the UK population.  EE’s 2G coverage reaches 99% of the population while 3G reaches 98%. EE's superfast fibre broadband service covers 54% of the UK population, and ADSL broadband service covers 98.7% of the population.

EE has received extensive independent recognition including being ranked the UK's best overall network by RootMetrics®, Fastest Network at the 2013 uSwitch Awards, Best Network at the 2013 Mobile Choice Consumer Awards and What Mobile Awards, Network Innovation at the 2013 Recomubu awards and Best Network for Business at the 2013 Mobile Industry awards.

 

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