Organisation: Autonet
Based: Burslem, Stoke on Trent
Services Used: Jet Business
Autonet Insurance is a business on the up – and the company wants to take local people with them on their journey of success.
Founded in 1999 with just two staff, the company now has an estimated turnover in excess of £50million and employs more than 400 people at a purpose-built head office complex and call centre in the heart of Burslem.
While there is no shortage of people wanting to work with them, Autonet is keen to support local people and establish training opportunities which will benefit the community as a whole.
Autonet anticipates that its call centre workforce will need to increase by up to 100 this year as the business continues to grow.
So, in partnership with the Jet Business team, Autonet has developed an eight-week training programme centred around their business which leads to an NOCN accreditation in Contact Centre skills. And there’s an added incentive that each successful graduate of the course is guaranteed a job interview with them.
The first course at Stoke-on-Trent College will begin in March 2010 with up to 20 Jet clients receiving training in customer service, IT and communication skills. It is hoped to run four courses per year with up to 50 per cent of people completing the course expected to secure employment at Autonet.
Kerry Parry, Jet Business Employment Broker explained: “Our job is to help local people who have been unemployed for more than 12 months back into work. We knew there were great opportunities at Autonet, but found that people we were putting forward often didn’t have the right skills.
“Autonet were really keen to help local people develop – so we began to explore how we could achieve this aim. The solution was the NOCN course which is an excellent opportunity for people to be trained and guaranteed a shot at a job.
“This is the first time we have established a dedicated training course in partnership with a local company and it really is a win-win situation for everyone. Autonet develops a highly-tailored training programme and local jobseekers have the very best chance to secure employment with a forward-looking local employer.”
John Roberts, Head of Human Resources for Autonet Insurance explained: “During the last 12 to 18 months our business has grown considerably and this trend is set to continue throughout 2010. We have found that often people have excellent skills and experience that relate to the previous roles that they have had, but that individuals struggle at times to use these skills and knowledge within the call centre environment.
“As we want to utilise the skills of local people and provide individuals with an alternative career we needed a way of providing people with the core skills and knowledge that will help them adapt to the call centre environment and roles that we have on offer at Autonet. Working with Jet has provided us with the opportunity to do this as we have been able to work with the college and assist the design of programmes that will better equip people to consider a potential career change and enter the growing call centre based industry.
“We hope that our involvement in the Jet programme will help us to assist the local community as we try and help people into a career that they may not have previously considered because they feel that do not have the required skills and knowledge.”
Last updated 17/05/2012