03 Dec 1999
Scotland looks like exceeding the 37,000 call centre jobs previously predicted to be created by the turn of the century, Scotland Office Minister, Brian Wilson said today.
But he stressed that there is "room for plenty more" and welcomed progress in taking the call centre industry into parts of Scotland which hitherto have not benefited from its growth.
Addressing the 5THAnnual UK Conference of the Call Centre Association in Glasgow, Mr Wilson said, according to the latest figures, there could be as many as up to 40,000 people employed in over 170 call centres and 11 Shared Service Centres by the turn of the year.
Mr Wilson said:
"Throughout the UK, call centres now provide more jobs than coal mining, steel and vehicle production combined. That does not in any way diminish the importance of these more traditional industries. But it does illustrate how quickly, in this age of technology, an infant industry can rapidly become a major player."
He said that competitors were putting it around that the Scottish labour market in call centres was "over heating" but that there was no evidence to support this. Call centres were bringing many people back into the labour market. Recently for instance, Lunn Poly received 3,750 job applications within a three week period.
Mr Wilson particularly welcomed the widening geographical spread of call centres: "Many companies are now discovering the virtues of very stable and highly skilled workforces in our smaller towns. There are successful call centres in places such as Nairn, Dunoon and Rothesay and Manpower have now announced the first Borders call centre in Selkirk."
He said that, throughout the UK, the great majority of call centres offered good working conditions and required a very wide range of skills. He said: " The industry knows that it is in its own interests to ensure that every call centre offers good standards of employment and I know that this Association is committed to that view."