Make a call and change your life
Unemployed people throughout North Tyneside are being encouraged to make a call that could change their life and give them a new career.
North Tyneside Strategic Partnership has teamed up with training company Contact Centre Professional (CCP) to extend a scheme to help train people for jobs in contact centres in the area.
It’s part of the highly successful “Starting 2 Earn” campaign that’s been running in North Tyneside for the last few months, which is helping residents get back into work.
CCP, working closely with the Call Centre Solutions team at NRG, is offering great training opportunities, which prepare people for well-paid, full and part-time jobs with some of the biggest call centre companies in Tyneside.
Mhari Breen of CCP said: “Anyone interested in working in customer service and has no experience or has been unsuccessful in finding a job, can come to us and we will offer a short training package that will boost their skills and confidence and help them find work.
“We have links with many local companies who are eager to recruit people from North Tyneside.”
North Tyneside residents who can join the scheme include:
- anyone who is currently unemployed or not in paid employment
- people out of work for a long time because of illness or because they have been carers
- lone parents who are looking for flexible working arrangements
- older people who are looking to retrain
- those who are disabled and struggling to find work.
No previous training, experience or qualifications are necessary and everything on offer is free for those not currently in paid employment. Travel and child care costs can also be paid to those eligible for training.
Elected Mayor John Harrison believes that ‘Start 2 Earn’ is having a real impact in creating a pathway from unemployment to quality training and jobs.
“The campaign’s really helping those who have been out of work for a long time to get back to work. CCP’s training is potentially a passport to guaranteed work in one of the most buoyant sectors of the local business community.”
Anyone interested should call 0191 427 7709 for more information.
Deprived Area Funding
The ‘Start 2 Earn’ campaign is making use of cash from the Deprived Area Fund allocated by the Tyne and Wear City Region Employment Consortium. The funding has to be used in those wards with the highest levels of deprivation, namely Chirton, Howden, Longbenton, Riverside and Wallsend. The CCP ‘Make a call and change your life’ initiative is backed with resources from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
CCP CASE STUDIES - how some residents have already turned their lives around after making that call!
Mandy Heweson
Mother of four Mandy from Percy Main, had been out of work for a long time bringing up her children.
Training with CCP helped her realise how much she had to offer employers and after being attracted by flexible shifts, Mandy secured a job as a customer service advisor at a contact centre on Cobalt.
She said: “Not only did the training give me a greater knowledge of customer service, but it definitely brought me out of my shell and gave me a lot of confidence.
“The preparation for interview was especially useful as I would never have thought to use examples from my shop experience and raising my family.”
Laurence Bartley
Fifty-five year-old Laurence had always worked as a service engineer, repairing industrial road sweepers.
Because of the type of work and travelling, Laurence had begun to suffer from extreme back pain and, after almost a year on incapacity benefit, he felt he need to get back to work.
He was unsure if he had the experience or skills to work in customer service but the training provided by CCP changed his mind. Last May, after just six weeks training, he got a job with North Tyneside-based AccuRead.
Laurence said: “I would recommend training with CCP to anyone who wants to work in customer service but thinks they don’t have the right experience. I love my job! I’ve never looked back.”
Karen Joyce
Lone parent Karen from Shiremoor, had been out of work for over 10 years raising her family when she approached CCP but the training gave her lots of new skills as well as tapping into some that she had forgotten and she quickly got a job with BT.
Karen said: “The one-to-one support was brilliant. I never realised I had so much experience already that would be of interest to potential employers.”
Mark Breillat
19 year old Mark Breillat from West Allotment had previously tried painting and decorating but hadn’t completed his apprenticeship and was looking for opportunities in customer service.
He had found that a lack of experience was counting against him, and so
when offered the opportunity of free training with Contact Centre
Professional, he jumped at the chance. The training programme is aimed
at learners looking to enter customer service or contact centre industries
either for the first time or those who have had a break in employment and
are looking to enhance their skills. CCP also have links with local
employers and Mark was able to spend a two-week work trial with Emax, a
North Shields based contact centre.
Armed with the knowledge from the training, the experience of sales with
Emax and his own enthusiasm, Mark applied for a job with Orange. He
started work on 21 January and is thoroughly enjoying his new position.
Mark said: “I loved training with CCP, it gave me loads of confidence and
brought out lots of skills that I didn’t know I had. The chance to do some
actual work experience during the training really helped as well. The tutors
at CCP helped me prepare for my interview, I had never had a proper
interview before, but when I applied for Orange I felt ready.
I would recommend the training to anyone who wants to work in customer
service but thinks they don’t have the right experience.
Laura Herron
Lone parent Laura, aged 23 had taken some time out of work to raise her daughter, but realised that it was time to try and find employment that offered flexible patterns of employment.
Her advisor at North Shields JCP brought her attention to CCP as a way of
consolidating her existing customer service skills. Laura enjoyed the
training and the teamwork involved in working with a large group of people.
When Laura was offered the opportunity of a site visit to Emax in North
Shields, she was impressed with the friendly nature of the company and
also the chance of continuing her training in a ‘live’ environment.
Emax allowed Laura and others from CCP to participate in an outbound
campaign for them on a work trial basis. So impressed were they with
Laura and her sales skills, that she was offered the chance to work for
them on a permanent basis.
Laura said: "The training course with CCP gives an excellent insight into
working within contact centres. It also helps you prepare for assessment
centres and links up with employers to help you find a position.
Until the work trial with Emax, I never realised I could do outbound sales,
but the atmosphere was so friendly and supportive that I took to it straight
away. I really enjoyed my time with both CCP and Emax and was really
pleased when Emax offered me a position as a Sales Advisor"
