Today, Watts Communications Inc. announced the creation of more than 100 Technical Support Representative jobs at its Charlottetown facility. These jobs have been created as a result of two new contracts secured by Watts.
Watts will be providing Technical Support and Help Desk services for Cebra Inc., an Electronic Commerce provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal. This contract will create 20 jobs in the Charlottetown facility to service some of Cebra's electronic commerce initiatives.
Watts is also pleased to announce the signing last week of a letter of intent with AST Research, Inc. to provide Technical Support Services to AST customers from the Watts Call Centre in Charlottetown. This will mean another 80 or more new jobs. AST Research is a major computer manufacturer based in Irvine, California and Fort Worth, Texas.
Colin Taylor, President of Watts Communications, announced that together, these projects mean Watts Communications will fulfill its job creation target almost two years ahead of schedule. "By locating these programs in our Charlottetown centre, Watts confirms its continued commitment to job creation in PEI," Mr. Taylor added.
Watts Communications leadership and quality service in providing outsourced user support and call handling were the reasons Mr. Taylor cited for the creation of these new jobs. The Honourable Wes MacAleer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism agrees. "Watts Communications has been a great addition to our business and local community. This company has met its commitment to employ Islanders in meaningful, non-seasonal jobs. The Province of Prince Edward Island is very pleased and impressed with the performance of Watts Communications."
Mr. Fred Morash, President and CEO of Island Tel, the full-service telecommunications supplier to Watts Communications, says the company is enthusiastic about the addition of Cebra and AST at the call centre. "Watts is an ideal business partner. They maximize the capabilities of the Island Tel advanced network. We are very pleased to be associated with Watts Communications."
Training for the customer service and technical support jobs are a critical component at Watts. "Holland College responded in 1996 to the burgeoning call centre industry with a customized training program," said Mr. Keith Dewar, Vice President of Holland College. "We will continue to work with Watts Communications and other call centre providers to develop a skilled workforce that meets the current and future needs of the industry."
The current operation on Watts Avenue in the West Royalty Industrial Park employs 110 people working on behalf of Canon Canada and Reader's Digest. The call centre is open 18 hours a day, seven days a week. The volume of calls has increased steadily since its May 31, 1996 opening. The expansion will increase the number of work stations to 150 from the current 76 and require that the centre take calls from Canada and the United States in French and English 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For more information, contact: Dave McLane, Director, Information and Communications Technology, Enterprise PEI, at (902) 368-6388.