Call centre on track to create 1,000 jobs in North
An Indian-owned call centre company set up in the North a year ago is well ahead of schedule in creating 1,000 jobs, it announced today.
Firstsource set up its first base in Belfast last August and another in Derry in December promising to deliver the jobs total in 2008.
“We are well ahead of schedule with 950 jobs created so far,” said Sean Canning, Firstsource’s UK operations director as the company celebrated its first anniversary in Belfast.
He said it was a tremendous achievement and paid testimony to the hard work of the staff and the availability of talented people.
“We are delighted to be here at a time when the economy is expanding and to be making a valuable contribution to that economy as a whole and in Belfast and Derry in particular.”
Firstsource is one of India’s leading business process outsourcing [BPO] service providers and employs over 15,000 people worldwide – with operations in India, the US, UK, Argentina and Philippines.
Mr Canning said: “It’s significant that in the recent quarterly results announced by Firstsource globally, the Northern Ireland operation was stated as having made a significant contribution.
“So it’s good news for Northern Ireland, our staff , our shareholders and, of source, our customers.”
Firstsource was the first India-based BPO to directly invest in the North and it said many of its management positions had been filled by internal local promotions.
“We are committed to excellence, investing in our staff, offering strong careers and rewarding endeavour, and that is reflected in our ability to recruit ahead of schedule.
“The opportunity to move up the career ladder is an important consideration for many people when they choose to work here,” said Mr Canning.
The company progress in such as short time was very encouraging for the future, he said. “Northern Ireland is certainly living up to our expectations of a highly talented and skilled workforce and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the region.”
The Belfast centre, he revealed, had recently been shortlisted for two national customer awards and both it and Derry have achieved certification for information security.
The company specialises in servicing customers in banking and finance, telecom and media, travel and transportation and healthcare.
