Torbay: Competitive Advantages for BPO and Call Centres in UK
Torbay has identified call centres as a key sector in its Inward Investment Strategy in a bid to attract new jobs to Torbay, the seaside holiday town in South Devon.
Call centres and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies are being targeted by Torbay Development Agency (TDA) as those that could most benefit from Torbay’s competitive property costs, high availability of service-skilled labour, and low average salary costs.
Call centre and BPO growth
Call centre, customer service and BPO activities continue to expand in the UK, with a resurgence of UK businesses moving their offshore customer care centres back to the UK, prompted by customer feedback.
Jason Buck, Investment Development Officer at TDA said, “the TDA is set to tap into this market with the aim of bringing new jobs to the area."
The TDA’s campaign has been launched on a global scale, with coverage in The Financial Times’ Foreign Direct Investment magazine and Springboard, UKTI’s investment magazine. These efforts are being supported with e-marketing tools and dedicated web page aimed at key decision makers in the call centre sector.
Buck commented, “Torbay has a real competitive advantage as a location for call centres in terms of property costs, staffing and skills. Torbay also has a special opportunity to meet the higher demand in winter months that these centres may have, due to the seasonality of tourism related employment”.
Qualified Staff
Torbay’s widely recognised brand “English Riviera” signifies the destination’s reputation as a popular tourist resort, which has resulted in a culture of a largely customer focused workforce. Over 86% of the Torbay workforce is employed in services; availability increases during winter months when the tourism season is low. Salary costs are 25-45% lower in Torbay than in other major call centre locations in the UK, offering a cost competitive workforce.
Buck added, “Torbay’s workforce is ideally primed to be an excellent match for call centre operations; we have a higher than average level of NVQ2 qualifications amongst the population, and a strong history of working in the service sector. Average wages and staff turnover compared to metropolitan areas compare very well for employers, meaning that companies have a good return on their training investment.”
South Devon College is a key driver in the rising skills levels, thanks to the new high tech facilities and award-winning multi-million pound campus, to be further expanded by the forthcoming unveiling of the £8m University Centre. The College’s activities in integrating the academic and business communities have been widely noted, and its range of courses is the largest in the South West.
The College offers a wide variety of business services courses and apprenticeships, including Team Leading, Business Administration, Customer Service, and Staff Management. Over 1,000 students enrolled in these courses in 2010.
Competitive Property Costs
TDA is also highlighting the competitive costs of commercial premises in the area as a key attraction for BPO companies looking to relocate, with average property costs around 30% lower than Torbay’s main competitors, such as London, Slough, Manchester and Leeds.
Recent investment in Torbay has seen the development of new business parks, which can sustain fresh call centre investment; Whiterock Business Park is close to South Devon College and the other technology businesses in Torbay, expanding the academia-industry cluster that exists there. The £30million Edginswell Business Park also has available, high quality space. Torbay’s major 10-year regeneration programme will see the construction of further business premises, increasing the future potential for this sector.
Competitive Conditions in Torbay
In addition to the competitive costs of labour and premises, Buck was quick to highlight the area’s other assets: “the excellent quality of life would be a real benefit to many staff relocating – great schools and healthcare are major repetition of major concerns when companies are trying to encourage their valued staff to move to another area.”
TDA has set up the Call Centre Registration, which gives companies access to a call centre factsheet, information on available property, and various other services.
TDA’s Director of Economic Strategy, Alan Denby, commented, “We have already recognised this sector as a key target market for relocation. We know that Torbay is an excellent place to invest, and we look forward to showing that there is a unique, competitive business proposition here in Torbay."
Visit Torbay Development Agency’s page dedicated to investment in the call centre sector, or see the listing for further information.
The Torbay Development Agency can liaise with South Devon College and local training providers and recruitment companies to identify training needs of foreign companies, and understand their skills requirements, potential employment numbers and opportunities for apprenticeships or work experience.
