NEWS AND UPDATES

The July edition of Call Center Magazine analyzes site location options for call center expansions and relocations. The article reminds us that the best place for a new call center operation may be right in your own backyard. California has made the biggest comeback in the U.S. for call center site locations because of the recently reduced worker compensation rates and the soon-to-be-improved unemployment system. In California, the San Joaquin Valley is identified as a promising location for call center operations because of good labor markets, lower real estate costs, bilingual workers and low disaster risks.

Read the article:

Delaware North Parks and Resorts announces job openings for its "property information agent" positions. Property information agents answer non-room sales related questions regarding Delaware North Parks and Resorts properties. DNC will host Employment Open Houses on Tuesday, July 20th at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday, July 21st at 2:00 p.m. for those interested in applying for the positions.

Openhouse Flyer - PIA (.pdf 71kb)
Job Description - Information Clerk (.pdf 12kb)

‘Live in Fresno…talk to the world!’ is the message Fresno call center leaders are promoting to area high school and college students in an effort to attract more, high-quality job applicants to fill vacant jobs in the industry. Call center leaders are so committed to finding quality job applicants, they collaboratively developed a flyer and are disseminating it to all high schools in Fresno County and to every career counseling office in local community colleges and universities. Call center jobs come with many benefits such as paid on-the-job training, medical and other benefits, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive pay, flexible part-time and full-time schedules, and opportunities to advance. Call center leaders believe there are many, well-qualified job applicants in the Greater Fresno Region. “It’s just a matter of promoting our available jobs, explaining the benefits of working in the industry, and connecting with those people who are looking for the type of opportunities we can offer,” says Omar De La Cruz, call center cluster co-chair and manager of Broder, an order fulfillment inbound call center located in Southeast Fresno. “This flyer is just the beginning of our plans to promote our industry to the available workforce in the region,” De La Cruz explained. If you are a leader in a call center or information processing firm in the Central Valley and would like to join the effort to strengthen your business and the industry, join now to receive meeting notifications and other industry announcements.

Call Center Job Flyer (.pdf 89kb)

Call center industry leaders meet once a month to share information on industry best practices and solutions to common challenges. At the April meeting, participating call center leaders identified the following topics for upcoming meetings:

“Motivational and Incentive Programs for the Call Center Industry”
Wednesday, May 26th, 12:00 p.m.
Delaware North Companies
6771 North Palm Avenue
Fresno (southwest corner of Palm and Herndon Avenues)

“Effective Attendance Policies for the Call Center Industry”
Wednesday, June 23, 12:00pm
Delaware North Companies
6771 North Palm Avenue
Fresno (southwest corner of Pam and Herndon Avenues)

RSVP to attend this meeting
“Management Style” July meeting – specific date and location to be determined

Fresno Area call centers are excited about the opportunities to network and collaborate that have grown out of the Regional Jobs Initiative. While the concept may seem unique, it’s been tried in other places such as southwestern Virginia with some success. “Any time you can bring people together to share ideas and knowledge, it’s a benefit to everyone in the industry,” says Linda Stolling, co-chair of the call center industry cluster and Reservations Manager of Delaware North Parks Services.

Read the full article (.pdf 104kb)

On Friday, September 12, 2003, over 300 business, community, education, and government leaders convened to review a draft plan to create 30,000 net new jobs in the Greater Fresno Region over the next five years. The effort, called the Regional Jobs Initiative, is the most comprehensive economic and workforce development initiative in Fresno’s history.

"Information processing" is one of nine target "industry clusters" in the Regional Jobs Initiative 5-year plan. The information processing industry, which encompasses call centers, third party administrators, and back office operations, already employs over 18,000 people in Fresno and Madera Counties, according to the California Employment Development Department. The call center segment of the industry has put together an action plan that, if executed, would help create an additional 3,000 jobs above the normally projected growth for the industry, leaders say. Components of the information processing action plan include:

• Developing industry-specific workforce training programs;
• Developing a comprehensive, web-based clearinghouse of resources most needed by the information processing industry;
• Working to ensure the competitiveness of the technology infrastructure in the region; and
• Working with the Economic Development Corporation Serving Fresno County to help recruit additional information processing companies to the region.

To read the full, 5-year action plan for the information processing industry. Download the Info Processing Action Plan 5-year information processing industry action plan. To view the full implementation plan visit www.FresnoRJI.org.