70 new jobs as call centre expands

New Call Telecom, based on the Time Business Park, in Blackburn Road, has also set up an academy and taken on six young people, aged 17 to 19, for the scheme, run in conjunction with Burnley College.

They will receive 12 months of on-the-job training before being issued with an NVQ qualification in customer service.

The move is another boost for the firm, which provides a home phone and broadband service called Primus.

It currently employs 32 people and aims to take on a further 70 staff over the next few months taking the total to 100.

Chief executive Mr Nigel Eastwood said: “We started running in July with around 20 employees and we are up to 32 now.

“We are having to put more people into the contact centre to deal with our growing customer base.

“We want to grow our business in the North-West.

“The academy is for young people to get their foot on the ladder.”

As well as “organic growth” due to an increase in customers, Mr Eastwood said the company has also acquired an international calling service from Talk Talk and is looking to make further acquisitions.

In July bosses announced they would move the call centre from Mumbai to Simonstone, saying it would be more cost-effective and better for customer service.

They also cited a more loyal, less transient workforce, cheaper office space rent and shorter call handling times among the reasons for the move.

Mr Eastwood, who is originally from Burnley and attended the former Barden High School, said he was delighted to be working with Burnley College, where he completed his A-levels.

“It’s really nice to be able to use Burnley College for this and to be able to contribute to an area which I feel has been greatly overlooked.

“Moving the contact centre back from India to Burnley has been received very very well with our existing customers.”