Tech Support Centre to Employ 220
Watts Communications Inc., a world leader in the teleservice industry, announced today it will open a technical support and customer service centre in Bridgewater, creating 220 jobs.
The centre will provide technical support services to computer and Internet-related companies in North America.
"This is a great day for the South Shore," said Finance Minister Don Downe, on behalf of Economic Development and Tourism Minister Manning MacDonald during a news conference in Bridgewater. "The Watts Communications technical support centre will create well-paying jobs in our growing information-technology sector.
"By locating in Bridgewater, the company has proven that you don't have to live in a large urban centre to be a part of the knowledge-based economy."
"We're excited to open this new facility in Bridgewater and we look forward to being part of the community for many years to come," said Colin Taylor, president of Watts Communications Inc. "Our decision to locate on the South Shore was based on a number of factors, and certainly Nova Scotia's talented and educated labour pool was high on that list. We're also impressed by the facilities and commitment devoted to the ongoing development and training of that same labour pool, through organizations like the Nova Scotia Community College."
Watts Communications will invest about $22 million over four years to establish the technical support centre, or "help desk," which is expected to open this year. Employees will handle inbound calls only. The average salary of centre employees, who will require a technical or customer service background, is $24,000.
The provincial department of Economic Development and Tourism will invest $2.2 million over four years, a large part of which is for the recruitment and training of employees to be managed through the Connections Nova Scotia partnership. The Nova Scotia Community College will be providing customized training for new employees, as it does for many of the businesses locating teleservice centres throughout the province.
Connections Nova Scotia is a partnership between the provincial department of Economic Development and Tourism and MT&T. Its mandate is to attract telecommunications intensive businesses to the province. With the Watts Communications teleservice centre, the partnership will have contributed to the creation of about 4,000 jobs in Nova Scotia since 1994.
"This is exactly the kind of sound investment the province looks for," said Mr. Downe. "It's an investment in Nova Scotians and in the economy of Nova Scotia. It will create new jobs -- the kind of jobs that will allow our young people to obtain a strong foothold in this growing sector. And it will generate revenue for the province, revenue that will further grow our economy.
"In fact, we'll recoup this investment in about four years through new tax revenue on the annual $5.5-million payroll."
"Our Connections Nova Scotia partnership has been working closely with Watts Communications for more than a year now, discussing the centre's requirements and the benefits of a Nova Scotia location," said Darryl Wiseman, MT&T director of sales, major customer group. "It's extremely satisfying to see those efforts result in yet further knowledge-based business growth within our province."
Watts Communications has been providing call centre services to Canadian and international companies since 1965. The Toronto-based company also operates teleservice centres in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I., and opened a new centre in Devonport, Australia, in 1998. Its clients include major computer, high-tech, banking, telecommunications and retail companies.
People who are interested in applying for positions at Watts' technical support centre are invited to visit the Connections Nova Scotia website at www.connections.ns.ca .