With plenty of big-name financial and insurance companies calling it home, Omaha is a prime spot for customer service call centers.
And now, with the help of a $2 million U.S. Department of Labor grant, Goodwill Industries is trying to get unemployed and underemployed people in the area ready to be the voice on the other end of the line.
The Customer Connect program provides funding for a six-month course at Metropolitan Community College's Fort Omaha Campus and Goodwill's headquarters on North 72nd Street. Participants attend class 2½ days each week, learning about interpersonal communication, business and information systems. Once they've completed their studies, they receive a customer service specialist diploma — and get the help of a case manager from Goodwill.
The grant will cover training through February 2013, and the organization hopes to help 200 people. So far, it's about halfway to that goal.
Ginny Powell, Goodwill's Customer Connect manager, said participants must be at least 18 years old and cannot have a criminal record with a felony.
She said she's seen people from ages 18 to 60 sign up, ranging from those who had been recently laid off to those who had been away from the workforce for several years. Most had no prior experience in call centers.
"If you're not working and need to brush up your skills — and you want to be in the call center industry — this is the program for you," she said.
Victoria Abeyta, 21, is about halfway through the course.
A few months ago, she was working in a fast-food restaurant, the latest in a series of jobs that she didn't find particularly challenging or rewarding. Her mother heard about the Customer Connect program and suggested that she take a chance on something new.
Abeyta said she's already picked up all kinds of useful skills, from operating computer programs to learning how to deal with customers in stressful situations. And for the first time, she's thinking about her future in terms of careers, not just jobs — and about continuing her education.
"It's like testing the waters of college," she said.
Powell said the program is working with several local employers, including Mutual of Omaha, First National Bank and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska.
So far, about 65 percent of the program's graduates have found work in the industry.
"We hope to see that continue to go up," she said. "The customer service field is a hot job in Omaha."
The next series of classes begins Dec. 5. Goodwill is accepting applications until Nov. 18.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1543, erin.golden@owh.com
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