The City of Johannesburg’s new pilot call-centre initiative, the Business Process Outsourcing and Offshore Skills Development Hub (BSH), expects to garner unparalleled job opportunities.

The City of Joburg, together with ContactinGauteng, the call-centre industry authority and member association in Gauteng province, will be partnering global education company, Edexcel, to realise the potential of the South African call-centre industry of creating 100 000 jobs by 2008.

The BSH aims to assist Joburg's growth as a global destination for the contact-centre industry and to grow a large enough talent pool to satisfy industry demand for skilled personnel.

Speaking at a networking session breakfast, Charnell Hebrard, City of Johannesburg project consultant ,said that Joburg's call-centre industry had the potential of becomming an unrivalled, global success story that could be the answer to some of the country's most crucial investment and unemployment issues.

Edexcel was partnering BPO to ensure that the skilled workforce within the BPO or call-centre industry were qualified to match an international benchmark.

Edexce regional director SA Anton Barnet-Harris, commented, " The City of Joburg's plan is an excellent example of BPO qualifications, which are relevant and realistic, and the international qualification will go a long way to establishing Joburg as the call-centre kingpin."

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