Cape Town continues to invest resources in the booming business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, setting up a school dedicated to training unemployed youth and providing them with first-hand exposure to the industry.
The city-funded “BPO Sunday School” in Athlone is administered by CapeBPO, the city’s special purpose vehicle partner responsible for the growth and development of the BPO industry.
In a statement, the city says unemployed youth will embark on a crash course over three weeks, and in the fourth week, there will be open industry recruitment.
It will cover modules targeting work readiness and conversational fluency, among other key skills, it states.
“Thanks to the city’s commitment to skills development and investment promotion of high-growth industries such as BPO, Cape Town has become an internationally sought-after location for businesses and investors in the sector,” says James Vos, mayoral committee member for economic growth.
“Through initiatives such as the BPO Sunday School, which is an addition to the schools programme, we are exposing school leavers to the huge opportunities available to them. In this way, we are giving young people tangible hope for a career that will go places.”
South Africa has become one of the most favoured locations internationally for BPO companies, with the sector targeting 500 000 new jobs by 2030, based on industry estimates.
Cape Town is among the most-established regions in the sector, earmarking it as a priority industry for employment creation.
The city reveals that 2 993 new international call centre jobs were recorded between July and September this year. Meanwhile, 3 475 new jobs are anticipated for October to December.
“This sector now employs around 80 000 people, with 60 000 of them servicing international clients. The BPO market contributes billions of rands to Cape Town’s economy, and with new call centres popping up all across the metro, such gains will continue and the opportunities will grow,” states Vos.
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