| Contact Centre Operations | |
|---|---|
| Starting Salary: | |
| Qualification: | NVQ |
| Length: | |
| Type: | Apprenticeship |
Apprenticeship Overview
Contact centres – sometimes known as ‘call centres’ – provide a way for people to get in touch with businesses and organisations.
The contact centres industry is one of the fastest growing in the UK, with job opportunities in most urban areas. Contact Centre Apprentices could work for a number of businesses across a range of sectors – no matter where they end up, they’ll learn all about their employer’s services and products so they can assist customers as helpfully as possible.
On this Apprenticeship you could be working in areas like sales, information retrieval or account management, or for public service advisors, e.g. for the NHS or Local Government. No matter where you end up, the same sets of skills will apply: you’ll work the phones and computer systems, listen and communicate, solve problems, and work with a team in a fast-paced environment.
Employees of contact centres have to be helpful, friendly and well informed – after all they’re representing their company or organisation to the public or helping their customers deal with emergencies for the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services. Because they spend most of their time making and answering calls, or responding to customers via emails or other computer networks, contact centre employees must have an excellent phone manner and be able to communicate in writing (it helps if they enjoy working with and talking to customers too).
Ultimately, contact centre work is about providing the best customer service possible, a valuable skill for any Apprentice.
Entry Requirements
Intermediate Apprenticeship You will need 4 GCSEs at grade D or above in a minimum of 3 subject areas (one of these must be in English or Maths) or a relevant Level 1 qualification and Level 1 Maths and English.
Advanced Apprenticeship You will need at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above in a minimum of 3 subject areas (one of these must be in English or Maths) or successful completion of an Intermediate Apprenticeship, or equivalent.
Job Roles
Intermediate Level Apprenticeship:
- Trainee Agent
- Contact Centre Agent
- Help Desk Operative
- Sales Advisor
- Customer Service Advisor
- Outbound Sales Agent
- Inbound Sales Agent
- Telephone Banking Advisor
- Telesales Operator
Advanced Level Apprenticeship:
- Sales Team Leader
- Customer Service Team Leader
- Contact Centre Team Leader
- Supervisor
- Product Specialist
- Support Analyst
- Contact Centre Manager
Higher Apprenticeship:
- Resource Scheduling Manager
- Senior Planner
- Team Manager Key Account Manager
Framework/Units
- NVQ
- Functional Skills
- Technical Certificate
Assessment
Assessment is through practical observation and theoretical tests.
Other information
A Call Centre Operations Apprenticeship can open doors to a fantastic career! You could continue with your studies, undertaking degree level study at university after an Advanced Apprenticeship. You could also decide to study for a number of professional qualifications in your industry in order for you to progress within your career.
