Report Shows Wales Trying to Move Away From a "Call Center Nation"
September 07, 2007
While we often report of the benefits of the establishment of call centers in certain areas as providing a boost to that local economy, there are some areas that feel their association with the call center industry may be limiting their other opportunities.
In the financial services industry, employers appear frustrated with the stereotype of Wales as a “call center nation” according to a major report. The sector is increasingly seeking opportunities to provide higher value activities to build up the necessary skills to move beyond the stigma.
This report by the Financial Services Skills Council claims that while the Welsh financial services industry has seen rapid growth in the past five years, this expansion has been focused primarily on what is considered lower value-added activity. The labor market appears to be struggling to keep up with demand and skill gaps are very widespread with more than one in three vacancies proving hard to fill.
Compared to the rest of the UK, qualifications attainment in Wales is lower and the current qualifications profile is not likely to meet the industry’s increasing specialization in products and client needs.
The financial services report also highlighted that training in Wales is less tailored than elsewhere in the UK and its allocations are heavily skewed towards those already in management positions. The report noted that this stereotype perpetuates a “vicious cycle” of low investments in skills and low-value added employment.
Employers in Wales identified key areas of focus in order to improve the potential of multiple industries in the area, in addition to the call centers. These areas included building skills and advice among new entrants to the industry; funding for regulatory training for small businesses; closing the leadership gap; and financial education in schools.
FSSC chief executive Teresa Sayers said in a statement, "This report maps the gaps in training and skills provision, examines the origins and extent of the most important failures and introduces a range of solutions that meet the industry's needs.
"It gives us the opportunity to examine potential solutions to the industry's skills needs for the first time - from the point of view of employers."
What is important to highlight with this report is that although many in the financial services industry in Wales are viewing its association with the call center industry as a negative one, the former is highly reliant on call centers to help promote their customer relationships and provide an interaction point between the organization and the customer.
The key areas of focus identified by employers in this report apply both to the financial services sector and the call center industry. Instead of using the “call center nation” stereotype as a crutch, it could instead be leveraged for advancing the financial services industry if such initiatives are correctly associated with both industries. Until they can work together to promote positive changes, the stereotype will likely remain a negative association for Wales and the businesses that call it home.
