SANDY BAY, Hanover — Collective Solution, a new business process outsourcing (BPO) company to the island, says it plans to create some 3,400 jobs by the end of next year at its campus located at the former Jockey garment factory in the once-vibrant town of Sandy Bay, Hanover.

The campus, which is currently undergoing a US$2-million refurbishment that forms phases one and two of the project, is set to open in September with 400 employees.

“The campus is 90,000 square feet. Four phases are planned and we anticipate completing phase one, which will see 400 seats coming into operation by September 2017. Phase two is expected to be completed by December 2017, which will also see another 400-500 seats being ready for production. The other phases are expected to be completed by mid-2018,” Marie Whyte, the site manager, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

She noted that among the benefits to be offered to employees will be a day care centre, gym, recreational areas for football, netball, basketball, a wellness centre and a state-of the-art cafeteria.

“Collective Solution is committed to providing a great work environment and benefits for its employees. Our goal is to provide an amazing place for our associates to come to work each and every day. We want happy and healthy team members so we are investing in many amenities onsite,” said Sanie Cabangcala, Collective Solution’s CEO.

Jamaica’s BPO industry has been identified as the main driver of the country’s growth agenda, and the Government has targeted the creation of 100,000 BPO jobs in five years. Today, the BPO sector is the island’s largest employer, and the fastest-growing industry, contributing more than US$400 million annually to the local economy.

President of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), Gloria Henry, said the opening of the facility in Sandy Bay will be a game changer for the parish of Hanover.

“I can see the great anticipation towards the journey to Sandy Bay. This has been waited on with baited breath in Jamaica, not just in western Jamaica, but in the entire country because this is going to be a game changer for Hanover,” she maintained.

Yesterday, Dave Brown, the member of Parliament for Hanover Eastern, in whose constituency the project falls, welcomed the decision by Creative Solution to set up business in Sandy Bay.

He, however, expressed hope that “suitable persons” from within the parish will be given the opportunity to work at the facility instead of “outsiders”.

“We welcome the decision by Collective Solution, but what we don’t want to see happening is that our qualified persons here (Hanover) overlooked. Once we have the qualified persons, they should get the jobs instead of outsiders from like the parish of St James,” Brown stressed.

Collective Solution is an international BPO company founded in 2002 in Los Angeles and has sites in the Philippines and Honduras servicing e-commerce, telecoms, health care, and asset recovery companies of all sizes.

The company currently operates at a temporary site in the Montego Bay Free Zone.