Call centre to employ 1,000 in MoBay

Paul Allen Business reporter allenp@jamaicaobsever.com

Thursday, December 08, 2011

ONE thousand jobs will be created when the Convergys Corporation opens its first call centre in Jamaica next year, Dr Christopher Tufton, the minister of industry, investment and commerce, announced yesterday at a press briefing in Kingston.

"This new investment is here because of the professional facilitation efforts of Jampro, a key agency of the ministry, working in partnership with a number of other agencies as well as the HEART Trust/NTA, to make it a reality," Tufton said. "This did not come easy. We currently operate in a very difficult global environment; Jampro did a great job in presenting a compelling value proposition to these investors."

Convergys is a leader in integrated billing and is one of the largest agent-assisted customer service companies in the world, employing approximately 70,000 people.

Tufton said Montego Bay was chosen as the call centre's site because of what Convergys deemed its status as a "top tourist destination and the strong customer service orientation" of the labour force there.

Noting several other favourable factors, the minister said he was confident of the nation's attractiveness as an information communications technology and a business process outsourcing option.

"Jamaica has a near-shore advantage to the largest consumer market in the world. It is the third largest English-speaking country within the Americas, behind the US and Canada. (It has) a talented labour pool with strong cultural compatibility (and) a reliable, sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure," Tufton told the press briefing.

"These attributes, when combined with our ability to promote, facilitate and sustain these important job-creating investments, will drive our goal of doubling the size of the sector in the next three to five years," he added.

The sector currently employs approximately 11,500 people.

In securing the investment, the ministry, through its investment arm Jampro, had to show the corporation that Jamaica has the necessary resources, including qualified labour, to facilitate its entry.

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COMMENTS (7)

Ronald Brown
12/9/2011

When are we as a country going to start providing real jobs fr the Jamaican people. When we bring these investors into the country to open up call centers, are we really benefiting as a people. how many other call centers have came and left. We need real industries that will allow our people to acquire real jobs for which they can make use of their skills. What is the Govt doing to help people to become business owners. We welcome these jobs but we must do more as a country to create better jobs

Orane Williams
12/8/2011

We need to start focusing on spreading these jobs out across the island. The south coast has huge populations and significant land space to accommodate such ventures. If we don’t start spreading them out Mobay will be come congested and as “Tufton said Montego Bay was chosen as the call centre's site because of what Convergys deemed its status as a "top tourist destination and the strong customer service orientation" of the labour force there.”

Orane Williams
12/8/2011

Just like how people migrated to Kingston seeking Jobs because that was the epicenter of economic activities, people are going to start migrating to Mobay to chase these jobs. Proper planning will prevent dysfunction. This is good news but it could be better news if we start spreading things out. The best way to prevent a costly problem down the line is to plan properly before it develops.

William Muth
12/8/2011

This is why I oppose the general speaking of "patois". The article refers to Jamaica as being the 3rd largest English speaking country in the Americas but how much of the population really speak proper English. Having lived in Canada, USA & Mexico, the main complaint I hear about Call Centres in India is that the English is good but the accent makes the answer undeciferable. More jobs - great news but the better we speak English, the better chances we have of getting employment & investment.

Peter Claude
12/8/2011

great news.....

Garnett Weir
12/8/2011

This is certainly good news. We need a lot more like this. Jamaica desperately needs to develop more strong economic legs. India has demonstrated the capacity of the IT sector to transform an econosmy. We should aim for 100,000 jobs within the sector within ten years. Can we do it. I am sure that we can.

nervous investor
12/8/2011

as the song says ".... Good News! .... ain't that Good News?!"

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Call centre to employ 1,000 in MoBay