A call centre with a difference has opened in Bristol where all of the staff will be aged between 16 and 18. LIME, Britain’s leading people development business for young people has recruited its first 16 advisors in a pioneering programme to give 16-to-18 year-olds paid employment and training.
The 9 month initiative provides them with a training salary, real work and a national qualification which will improve their customer service skills and lead to improved career prospects.
The Bristol Launchpad™ call centre programme will be run in partnership with Bristol employer Office Response and is a UK first, said Laura Indans, National Account Director for LIME.
Office Response was awarded the prestigious Bristol Evening News Business of the Year award in 2008.
“Bristol teenagers will gain live work experience, training and assessment as part of an Apprenticeship in Customer Services and they are paid for nine months work that could lead to other job opportunities after 36 weeks.”
“A4e is working with LIME across the Bristol and the South West to pilot the new LIME programmes which will help the city’s young adults find work and training opportunities in the area”, said Kevin Kelway, South West spokesman for A4e.
The launch of LIME’s new call centre comes on the back of startling new figures where the current generation of young people in the city could be lost to mass unemployment, a number which is nearly one million out of work nationally.
Laura Indans, added: “One in three of Bristol’s 16 and 17 year-olds is suffering the same plight-and that does not even include this summer’s school leavers. We are pretty excited in setting up the region’s first call centre run by a young workforce.”
Anyone looking for more information or wanting to go on our 16-18-year-old programme can contact the business team at LIME: Tel 0844 3574991 or email their CV to info@onelime.com