The Call Centre Academy, a division of the MB Worksoft group, has started classes for its ACOC (agents certificate of competence) course. Combining the skills and knowledge in demand for effective call centre operations, the course is aimed at the person in the street.
Candy Kotze-Hayes, Call Centre Academy MD sees this as a significant step in the Call Centre Academy`s career focussed approach.
"International industry research indicates that more than 92% of companies aim to implement customer relationship management (CRM) and the call centre is the centre of many of these initiatives. There is a growing call for suitably qualified personnel, but it is still difficult to break into a call centre career without previous experience and training. This course provides the stepping stone into call centre employment."
The course is offered on a 4 week full-time basis for R2500 or part-time over 3 months for R3800. Lectures are at the Call Centre Academy premises in Rivonia, Sandton. Students have assignments to do and each section is followed by an evidence test, assessing the student`s understanding and providing additional tutoring where needed.
The course combines theory and practice under the guidance of qualified and experienced trainers. Subjects cover the complete range of call centre theory and practice, as well as life skills and soft skills. The use of technology such as the telephone, e-mail and fax, call answering, cultural diversity, team dynamics, stress management and CRM are just some of the subjects covered.
The successful graduate is equipped with their certificate, CV, and a voice recording, very useful for the job application.
Entry into the course is preceded by an evaluation. Candidates must have matric and be able to communicate effectively in English, the international call centre language. They are also given the opportunity to evaluate the course at an introductory lecture.
Diane Dick, ACOC custodian says that the response has been phenomenal. "We have had 400 queries so far.
To date the NQF (National Qualifications Forum) standards for call centre training have not been finalised. In order to ensure that course content is aligned with the NQF requirements, Heidi Kirchner, MD of Corporate Training Africa, the learning strategy and measurement company, has been consulted on the development and definition of the ACOC course. She outlines the four criteria she applies to the learning material:
It is competence-based rather than skills based, i.e. it brings together knowledge, skills and values in a context of application.
The context of application includes both workplace performance and personal growth
The content provides competence that is specific to the job, but is also portable across industries
The training offers additional value in that it will eventually lead to a recognised qualification.
Alignment with international benchmarks and employer expectations is also examined. "The ACOC course fulfils international call centre standards", comments Kirchner. "The student can expect a high standard of training content, with attention given to outcomes. This gives the agent the tools to develop real proficiency in their role."
Share
