New call centre in Newcastle creates 600 jobs

Tyne Tees
Newcastle
Jobs
Employment
Friday 8 July 2016 at 1:35pm

600 new jobs will be created in Newcastle city centre when a new call centre opens later this summer.

Convergys, a customer management services company, has been confirmed as the only tenant of the building The Rocket in Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter.

Newcastle City Council and developers the Clouston Group worked together for the £200m development which includes the Crowne Plaza Hotel (which opened last summer), the Stephenson Quarter Car Park and 35,000 sq ft of Grade A office space at The Rocket.

Convergys are already based in the north east, employing 700 people at their Quorum Business Park base in Longbenton.

Councillors say Newcastle fought off stiff competition from other cities across the UK to secure the investment. They say it shows the city is open for business.

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council said:

This announcement is a major step in realising our vision to secure economic prosperity and employment opportunities for Newcastle, and testament to the wealth of talent in the North East. “In the last economic downturn Newcastle City Council took decisive action with projects such as the Stephenson Quarter to ensure we supported the city through difficult times, providing immediate jobs but promising also to make sure we were positioning Newcastle to take advantage of the upturn in the economy. “I’m delighted that today we are able to deliver on that commitment and support Convergys with their growth plans, which will create hundreds of jobs for people in our city. Importantly, it sends out a strong message of confidence to the market, making it clear that Newcastle is open for business despite the current uncertainty.”

Phil Telfer, UK Lead at Convergys, said choosing to expand in Newcatsle was an easy decision:

“This investment not only demonstrates our ambition to grow in the UK, but also our commitment to the city of Newcastle, where we have been an employer for almost 25 years.

“Choosing to expand in the Newcastle area was an easy decision - a big part of our local success is testament to the talented people we already have working here, and the strong reputation the team has for delivering great customer experiences on behalf of several leading global brands.

“We wanted to choose a building within a prestigious location that was impactful, and that set out a clear statement of our UK ambition. With The Rocket, we believe we have achieved this.”

An internal fit-out at The Rocket is now underway, and is expected to be operational by the late summer.

Convergys say they are now recruiting for a number of roles and those wanting more information can contact recruitment.newcastle@convergys.com