Call centre helps train jobseekers

Jobseekers are being helped to improve their numeracy skills and potentially find work at one of Sunderland’s biggest employers through the launch of a new initiative between npower, Sunderland City Council and the University of Sunderland.

Because a growing number of job applicants at npower excel in all assessment areas other than their maths ability, npower’s resource and talent manager, Gillian Tarelli, joined forces with the City Council and the University of Sunderland to help find a solution and support these individuals into employment.

The joint initiative is designed to help more local people into jobs at npower’s contact centres at Rainton Bridge, Houghton-le-Spring and Peterlee. npower is holding a series of numeracy awareness courses to help build jobseekers’ confidence and competence when working with numbers, a skill that is vital to the success of the organisation.

Any recent applicants to npower roles who have been unsuccessful because of their numerical ability can now re-apply immediately and take advantage of the newly launched additional support which aims to improve knowledge of complex terminology and increase confidence when working in a customer-focused contact centre.

Councillor Mel Speding, cabinet secretary of Sunderland City Council, said: “In Sunderland we have a contact centre industry we are very proud of, which offers opportunities to thousands of local people. Working alongside npower, we are committed to helping more people to improve their skills and confidence, so they are able to find positions and careers within the sector.”

Gillian Tarelli, resource and talent manager at npower, said: “We are delighted to be working with our partners on this project to enable more local people to enhance their skills and join us.”

Dr Felicity Breet, associate dean in the Faculty of Education and Society at the University of Sunderland, said: “In a contact centre role, there is the need to work at speed and under pressure, which is an important factor in addition to getting the maths right.”