Henry: BPO more than just call centres
STUDENTS FROM schools across western Jamaica were out in their numbers to participate in interactive sessions with young entrepreneurs and employees in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector during the recent staging of Outsource2Jamaica symposium and expo in Montego Bay.
The students were sponsored by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and were introduced to the numerous training programmes provided by the HEART Trust/NTA. Portmore Community College also showcased its offerings to scores of students.
Godfrey Dyer, chairman of the TEF, said that he was pleased that students were showing interest in technology-based industries as they are huge growth and employment potential for young people. This as the Government continues its push to have some 200,000 persons prepared for the jobs that will be available in the BPO industry.
The Government, through Jamaica Promotions Corporation Heart Trust/NTA, and with strong support from the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), is facilitating the preparation of secondary- and tertiary-level students for careers in the BPO sector.
With an estimated 10,000 jobs added to the BPO sector last year, the State is putting all the mechanisms in place to ensure that there are suitably trained people to take advantage of the various opportunities in the rapidly growing industry.
According to Gloria Henry, BPIAJ president, no longer can the outsourcing sector be seen as a mere call centre as it continues to attract some of Jamaica’s most qualified persons.
The Government is targeting more high-end operations beyond the traditional human resource management, finance and accounting, and contact centre offerings.