A New Wave Of Jobs Could Be On The Line

Newcastle Herald

Friday July 17, 1998

CALL centres and job opportunities go together.

This will be one of the messages of next week's ATUG Hunter Valley Telemarketing and Call Centre seminar in Newcastle on Thursday and Friday.

Among the speakers at the opening session on Thursday will be Gillian Summers, marketing manager for the Hunter Economic Development Corporation and an enthusiastic proponent of call centres.

She said such centres had experienced a surge in popularity following rapid improvements in technology.

`They're basically a customer relations management tool, and they can employ a lot of people,' she said.

`It has been estimated that, by 2002, as much as 1.3% of the workforce in Europe will be employed in call centres.'

Among the other speakers at the opening session of the seminar will be the chairman of the Australian Telecommunications Users Group, Mr George Maltby, and the NSW Minister for Sport and Gaming, Mr Richard Face.

Speakers at the afternoon sessions will examine the technology required for setting up a call centre, advantages for business and the importance of the people who make up the centre.

The Thursday afternoon program will also include the presentation of case studies by NIB, showing how the implementation of a leading-edge call centre improved customer service, and Krone, sharing the experience of using outsourced call centres to satisfy varying levels of its business.

Vendor displays will be set up for viewing on Thursday and for hands-on, interactive activities on Friday in the main hall and No. 1 and 2 function rooms of City Hall.

Representatives will be on hand to explain business, education and employment opportunities related to call centres, as well as technology solutions and call centre implementation and operation.

For seminar phone enquiries ring 02-9927 9999.

Internet address for seminar registration details and further call centre information is: http://www.infoserv.net.au/HunterCallCentres/