Call Britannia celebrates another graduation

Call Britannia, the pioneering call centre that only employs the unemployed with the aim of acting as a ‘springboard’ to future jobs, is already proving that its model works by celebrating its sixth ‘graduation’.

James Whyte, 22, was one of the first employees to begin working for Call Britannia in November 2009. He is now at toptable.com as one of their restaurant specialists, and the   first Call Britannia employee recruited by a client.

toptable.com is Europe’s largest online dining community and restaurant booking service and was Call Britannia’s first client. Impressed with the quality of the Call Britannia customer service, toptable soon agreed to a long-term partnership. The dedicated Call Britannia toptable team members now have responsibility for a wider brief of activities. James worked on the campaign from the start.

The previous five graduates have gone on to a wide range of roles: trainer in an insurance business, a personal advisor in a fitness and leisure organisation, and desktop support officer in a security company. Karlton Ramsey, one of the original six recruits, has also been promoted to Senior Customer Advisor.

James Whyte commented on the positive impact Call Britannia had on his life:

 “Over the past seven months, besides all the new skills I have gained in customer service and IT, I have learned an incredible amount about myself.

“After spending six months unsuccessfully looking for work, it's fair to say my confidence was at its lowest ebb. Having that confidence restored through the training and positive atmosphere at Call Britannia helped me to fulfil potential I did not know I had.

“My ambitions for the future are to progress at toptable.com. I would love to eventually work in the HR department. I would really like to have the chance to help improve someone's skills and abilities; maybe even making a difference in someone's career. It would be like I'm carrying on the Call Britannia ethos.”

Karen Darby, Founder of Call Britannia, said:

 “Here at Call Britannia we act as a talent incubator, equipping our staff with skills, qualifications and work-based experience, without ever compromising on the service we deliver for our clients.

“James was one of our most dedicated employees, and it has been wonderful to watch him grow in both confidence and skill over the seven months with us. I am delighted to see him graduate to work for toptable.com, our first client. I know he will thrive in that environment. It is exciting to see the Call Britannia graduation scheme becoming a reality.”

Karen Hanton, Founder of toptable.com, added:

 “Here at toptable.com we eat, breath and sleep restaurants. We are always on the lookout for talented and enthusiastic people to join the team - people who are as passionate about toptable.com as we are and who want to be part of something exciting.

“James definitely fits the bill. He has already proved his competency and diligence while working for toptable.com at Call Britannia and we are delighted that he is joining the team.”

For more information go to: www.callbritannia.com