ARBROATH-based Journeycall, which provides customer service support and smartcard services for the UK transport industry, has launched a Customer Service and Contact Centre Training Academy to boost local upskilling and recruitment.
In a bid to reduce unemployment across Angus, as well as the nationwide digital skills gap, the four-week, in-person course will empower local job-seekers with the necessary skills to get back into work and culminate in a guaranteed job interview with Journeycall.
Developed in partnership with Dundee and Angus College and the Angus Local Employability Partnership, Journeycall’s training academy will equip participants with key CV and interview skills to secure a new role, as well as how to be successful in the workplace. Training sessions include a range of crucial topics for working life, from digital skills to building effective working relationships, as well as a comprehensive overview of customer service skills.
Beginning on Monday 1st August, the training academy is open to anyone in Angus that is currently unemployed, including school leavers and those out of work. Courses will run from Dundee and Angus College’s Arbroath campus on Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 4pm.
Part of the ESP Group, Journeycall provides customer services and technology-led solutions focused on mass public transport systems such as rail and bus, and operates the largest dedicated transport contact centre in the UK. The business provides smart card technology and customer support for Network Rail, Transport for London, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains among others, ensuring smooth passage for millions of rail commuters.
Theresa Slevin, Group CEO, ESP Group said: “Having previously collaborated with schools and working groups on developing key skills for young people, we are proud to be taking this one step further with our Customer Service and Contact Centre Training Academy. By partnering with Dundee and Angus College and the Angus Local Employability Partnership, our creative scheme not only enriches the local Angus area, but also supports our ambitious growth plans. We look forward to helping local jobseekers embark on a new career journey and welcoming fresh talent into Journeycall.”
Caryn Gibson, Business Partnership Manager, Dundee Angus College said: “We are delighted to join forces with Journeycall and support them as they look to grow their business. For us the success of these academies are two fold; not only do we get to support an ambitious business with their growth plans we also play a key role in reducing unemployment figures across the region. Our academies are proving to be hugely successful and I believe that is down to the partnership approach, by bringing academia, local government and industry together we are able to create something really special and this is what it will take to drive real change. I very much look forward to the launch of the academy and to working closely with the team at Journeycall.”
Claire McGuigan, Project Officer, Angus Local Employability Partnership said: “The Angus Local Employability Partnership is delighted to be working collaboratively through No One Left Behind and The Young Peoples Guarantee to help facilitate this innovative project, which not only supports local business growth but helps those who most need it to secure sustainable and fulfilling work. We are delighted that local service providers Barnardos, Angus Skills and Employability Team, Skills Development Scotland and Tre-Life are providing intensive workshop support that will ensure that this is a truly transformative experience for participants and provides an opportunity to really make a difference in local people’s lives.”
The Angus Local Employability Partnership includes Angus Council, Skills Development Scotland, Dundee and Angus College, Angus Health and Social Care Partnership, Developing the Young Workforce Tayside, Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, the Department for Work and Pensions, Fair Start Scotland (Remploy), and Voluntary Action Angus representing the third sector.
