Sitel’s north east contact centre has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a successful 2011 during which it picked up a string of new contracts.
Sitel, a leading contact centre outsourcer, saw its site on Balliol Business Park grow its workforce from 200 at the start of the year to around 500 at peak thanks to new business with a series of major brands.
The contact centre has received support with its growth plans from Tyne and Wear Development Company. Sitel expects to continue this momentum in 2012 and hopes to reopen a second office facility on Balliol in the future.
Andy McCobb, site director for Sitel, said: “The momentum we are beginning to build is fantastic. The work we have picked up in the six months I’ve been with the organisation is a real testament to the quality of staff we have here.
“The nature of our business exposes us to lots of fantastic opportunities for repeat business. As we pick up additional work and reach capacity at our current site, it only strengthens our desire and need to open a second site within the near future.”
Sitel is a leading provider of outsourced contact centre services, employing around 52,000 employees globally. The contact centre is one of over 135 sites across the globe.
Tyne and Wear Development Company was instrumental in helping Sitel to locate its site in North Tyneside a decade ago, identifying a suitable location at Balliol and helping to secure outside investment.
The agency continues to provide assistance through its long-term Strategic Account Management programme and has been working closely with the company in preparation for the expansion.
With the inward investment agency’s support, Sitel has been able to develop a bespoke training programme with local training providers to boost employee skills. It has also received help with its recruitment programme.
“Newcastle’s a great base for us in terms of both access to support and the quality of the workforce we have here. Many of our employees have been with us for years and benefitted from our proactive training initiatives,” said Andy McCobb. He added: “Employee development has always been a core business goal and we’re delighted to be reinvesting in our existing and future workforce with Tyne and Wear Development Company’s support. The input has been invaluable and is helping to underpin our expansion plans.”
Alan Jones from Tyne and Wear Development Company said: “The contact centre sector is incredibly important to Tyne and Wear and the wider North East region as a whole.
“Sitel is a multi-national business and a key player in the regional contact centre sector and it’s a good sign for the industry that the company is expanding here. The support we’ve provided is helping them to prepare for future success.”