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Skills initiatives announced for contact centre industry

e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for Contact Centres, has announced a number of skills initiatives targeting the Contact Centre industry in the UK. These include the launch of new National Occupational Standards (NOS); an increase in the number of its Contact Centre consultants; the unveiling a new web–based skills assessment service, Contact Centre passports; and a bespoke pre-employment training package.

e-skills UK research shows that the Contact Centre workforce stands at 867,000 and now represents over 3.1% of the UK working population. The UK is currently the Contact Centre sector market leader in Europe with 37% share. It is estimated that numbers employed grew by 28% in 2003 with even greater growth expected in 2004. Growth in the total number of people employed at Contact Centres is expected to continue to reach over 1 million people by 2007.

Peter Scott, Customer Service Director at T-Mobile and Chairman of the e-skills UK Contact Centres Board, said, "e-skills UK Contact Centre programmes have all been developed in partnership with Contact Centre employers to ensure that the industry receives the support it needs to compete in the Global marketplace. e-skills UK’s extensive consultation with employers has ensured that these programmes fit the specific training needs of the Contact Centre industry."

Employer consultation by e-skills has resulted in a comprehensive review of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the industry. These dictate the content of all training provision that is eligible for public funding.

Underpinning the NOS is the e-skills UK developed Contact Centre Career and Skills Framework that identifies a comprehensive set of contact centre competencies, including knowledge and skills, and links them to career routes that Contact Centre professionals can pursue.

"We produced the Framework in consultation with over 100 employers and introduced it to the Contact Centre industry 18 months ago," said Chris Warren, Sector Lead for Contact Centres, e-skills UK. "Contact Centres that have since incorporated the Framework into their HR systems have reported a significant drop in their attrition levels and an improvement in their recruitment processes."

In order to support Contact Centres with the implementation of this Framework, e-skills UK is working on increasing the size of its network of Contact Centre Consultants over the course of the next eighteen months. This network is designed to ensure that as many employers as possible benefit from the implementation of the Framework.

To help employers identify skills gaps within their organisations e-skills will introduce a web-based skills assessment service in the summer of 2004. The ‘e-skills Contact Centre Passports’ will enable users to assess their skills and abilities against the industry standard laid out in the Framework. The aim is to offer the user a clear picture of the career progression and training opportunities within their organisation as well as offering a clear roadmap to nationally recognised qualifications.

"The e-skills Contact Centre Career and Skills Framework and the e-skills Contact Centre Passport are ’the’ starting points for any business wanting to refocus themselves on their customers and drive cultural change," says John Greenwood, Deputy Chairman, Positive Contact. "What e-skills has developed with the framework and passport could save our industry millions of pounds in cost and develop further millions in extra revenues created by having enthusiastic and well managed people."

To address the lack of vocational and basic skills amongst recruits, e-skills UK has worked closely with Tyne and Wear Learning and Skills Council to develop a pre employment training programme designed to ensure that individuals who want to work in the Contact Centre industry are equipped with the right skills. The training package is based on the Pre-Entrant level in the Career and Skills Framework and work continues to ensure that the course is recognised by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and fits onto the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) so that it can be delivered by training providers nationally. Several candidates have successfully completed the new training course and are now employed within the sector. e-skills UK will be working with a number of organisations including Jobcentre Plus to roll this training out nationally.

e-skills UK has other programmes running throughout the UK including funded Apprenticeship programmes for the over 25’s, the development of Contact Centre Foundation Degrees and an online Contact Centre Employer forum. e-skills UK is also engaged in active partnerships with the leading Contact Centre employer bodies in the UK and continues to work closely with the Government, the devolved Administrations, and Regional Development Agencies, Learning and Skills Councils and numerous regional employer forums.

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