Fusion hopes to create 400 jobs within two years

Mar 1 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A CALL centre business is aiming to create a 400 jobs in the next two years as it expands further in the region.

Fusion – part of the BGL Group which provides contact centre services for motor and home insurance companies – already employs 350 people at its offices at Hylton Riverside in Sunderland and 200 at its recently revamped building at Peterlee’s Bracken Hill Business Park.

The business moved into the former Orange mobile phone call centre premises in Peterlee a year ago and has recently upgraded its facilities to include a staff room and cafe with internet access.

The additional staff will be based at this office, which handles calls on behalf of clients such as the Post Office, M&S Money, Bradford & Bingley and Debenhams. Fusion associate director, operations development, Mike Sherwood said: “The Fusion approach is to offer local people a fun and interesting place to work with real career opportunities. We invest in our employees and want them to develop their career potential here.”

The business is working with regional development agency One NorthEast, the County Durham Development Company (CDDC) and Jobcentre Plus to find people to fill the planned new positions. A BGL Group spokeswoman said people often did not realise the high earning potential of working in a contact centre.

CDDC managing director Stewart Watkins said: “One of the major issues facing Fusion and other contact centre companies is workforce availability.

“Fusion and CDDC worked closely together to put the company in touch with schools and education leaders in East Durham. This has enabled it to show youngsters the positive and prosperous careers available to them in the contact centre industry.”

Ian Williams, ONE’s director of business and industry, added: “The planned recruitment of a further 400 people between now and 2010 and the fact that this is another example of a company moving into the region and planning for future growth, is great news for whole of the North East because we know how important the service sector is to the regional economy.”

The Peterlee office is Fusion’s fifth contact centre in the UK. In addition to its North East and Peterborough offices, parent company BGL also has call centres in Coventry and Cape Town in South Africa.