The nbn® network is the essential infrastructure that helps connect people to each other and provides access to the crucial tools and services that support everyday needs in a fast-changing digital world.

And, at its heart, are nbn’s people who are central to delivering the company’s purpose of helping lift Australia’s digital capability.

Keven Allan, Executive General Manager for Field Services, is one of many working to ensure nbn has the right skills and capabilities around Australia to keep customers connected and to manage demand for appointments.

Right people, right place, right time

A veteran of telecommunications with 31 years in the industry, Keven has spent the last year at nbn committed to meeting the needs of customers across the country.

Keven has been working to make enhancements to how nbn’s field workforce services customers, boosting technician numbers – particularly in regional Australia.

“We’ve spent a fair bit of time reflecting on how we service communities, and we want to improve that, particularly in regional Australia,” says Keven.

“We’re looking for skilled and experienced people in regional Australia including some senior technicians – the plan is to have the right workforce in the right place at the right time to service our customers.”

That’s because we’re invested in creating equal opportunity for the more than 17 million people who access services over the nbn network every day.

Benefiting customers and employees

nbn’s field workforce plays a critical role for nbn customers, says Keven.

“There’s not too many services that can be provided by nbn and phone and internet providers without the field technicians being involved, so they are that critical bit that enables our network and makes sure that customers get the service they want, when they want it, and with the right quality that they expect.”

And with these new career opportunities in regional centres, both potential nbn employees, and new and existing customers, are set to benefit from where they choose to live and work.

“The plan is to have a presence in the community so that we can respond appropriately, and have the right skills so that if we do have localised issues, we can respond much more quickly,” says Keven.

Joining nbn’s field workforce

At nbn, we foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture to collaborate and innovate. We consciously create and maintain an inclusive environment where all our people feel empowered, safe, respected, have a sense of belonging and can thrive and succeed.

“You can start as a trainee in nbn and you can end up doing my job, if you really want to, so those pathways will become clear. They’re not all about just being in the technology pathway either, you can go off and be a project manager, you can go off and be a leader, you can go off and do management, or you can go off and do anything you want after you start off in a traineeship within the field,” says Keven.

Diversity is also high on Keven’s list for growing the field workforce.

“We are active in communities and it’s important our team reflects and represents the diversity of every city and town across Australia.”

Fast forwarding to 2025, what does Keven expect nbn’s field workforce will look like?

“It’s a very diverse workforce. It’s a workforce that’s placed across Australia, both in the metro environments and in regional centres. It’s an enabled workforce in that it has the tools it needs to do the job.

“We are effective, we’re efficient but we’re also customer centric, and that customer centricity, I think’s going to be the most important thing about our field workforce.”