Teenagers win jobs in a contact centre

Two 17-year-olds have been offered jobs after winning a personal development competition called The Recruit.

Based on the television series The Apprentice, the scheme involved final-year school pupils participating in 400 hours of activities over a four-month period, from raising money for charity to attending corporate challenge days. Thirty-one young people took part in the scheme which saw The Recruits raise a record £10,300 for Ardgowan Hospice in Greenock.

Joseph McBride, 17, from Gourock, received the winning position with Webhelp TSC along with a bonus prize of 20 driving lessons. The company also hired Jonathon Nelson, 17, from Port Glasgow. The successful candidates were selected on their potential, employability skills and overall performance throughout the programme of activities.

“We set the group a challenge of understanding how benefits and incentives engage and motivate employees, and asked them to come up with some new ideas,” said Suzanne Nichol, Better Process & Knowledge Manager, from Webhelp TSC. “We were blown away by the professionalism and understanding they had of our sector.”