“Thank you for calling credit card services, this is Dexter speaking, how may I help you?”

A trainors training dubbed “Coaching for a Call Center Career (C4)” was held Aug. 2-3 at the University Training Center and at the College of Arts and Sciences.  

The training, which aimed to prepare potential employees in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, was facilitated by JobSolutions Philippines’ Faye Lynne Y. Orduña, training manager; Maritess M. Lucero, quality-on-training officer; and Louie P. Tutay, core skill trainer.  The module included American culture awareness, grammar review, and call simulations.

Thirty-one of the 44 participants were from MMSU, while the rest came from Divine Word College of Laoag, which sent ten participants, Northwestern University (2), and Data Center College of the Philippines (1).

The graduates of the training course were tasked to conduct training sessions for those who seek to land on a job in a call center.

Weekly training sessions facilitated by newly minted trainors from MMSU kicked off Aug. 14 at the University Function Hall.  It was attended by 97 participants, mostly students and alumni of the university.

BPO firms are reportedly poised to open branches here in Ilocos, which will create at least 3,000 jobs, but are holding back because of lack of qualified applicants.  Some call center firms which tested the waters here noted that while most college graduates handily pass written exams, very few qualify in verbal tests.  Ilocanos, as with other regional groups, have a thick and distinct accent. 

Based in Quezon City, JobSolutions Philippines was founded in 2009 by a group of professionals who are widely experienced and adept in the BPO field.  Aside from conducting trainings, it provides recruitment and outsourcing services to industry partners.

 Governor Imee Marcos, whose platform of government is centered on job generation, is in full support of the project.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte is providing Php 200,000 for the free training of prospective agents who could become ready manpower for the call center industry.

Professor Marlina L. Lino,  coordinator of Project C4, hopes that at least 300 individuals would have undergone training at MMSU by the end of August.

The College of Arts and Sciences, which has a state-of-the-art speech laboratory, was assigned by the unversity president to carry out the project.