Call Center training schools start to boom

With the booming of the contact center industry in Baguio City, schools that offer call center training are now beginning to thrive.

One of the schools that offer call center training is the Baguio City Science Foundation (BCFS) in Engineer’s Hill.

Sophia Turqueza, BCSF call center program trainer said that for thee years now, BCSF has been offering a Level II finishing course in Technical, Educational and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Turqueza said that the training, formerly called short-term course, is modular base.

Turqueza said that at first, her bosses decided to offer the program because they thought of it as a lucrative business since the call center industry is booming. She added that as they were running the program, they found out that it’s not just about business anymore but more on helping the people who wish to find a job in the call center industry.

According to Turqueza, the training runs for two weeks everyday and the trainees have to complete 100 hours of call center training programs.

The program includes training on:

• conversational English
• accent acquisition
• grammar
• call handling
• personality development

Turqueza said that their students range from high school graduates to domesticated housewives or ages 18 to 55 years old. "They're just here to learn so they can hopefully work in call centers so it's more of a social responsibility," she said.

Turqueza also said that BCSF has linkages to call center companies in the city. “We have linkages to call centers. J-Link partnered with us so every graduation, they come here to evaluate our graduates and they hire people on the spot”, she said. Turqueza added that they also recommend their students to contact centers outside the city.

However, people have different views regarding the matter. There are those who are interested to apply in call centers who said that it is good that there are already schools who offer call center training programs.

“Maganda kasi, after ng training, may edge ka na sa mga ibang aplikante,” Lily Ann Ramirez, a graduating student said.

There are also those who said that these training programs are not really helpful. “Parang impraktikal kasi magbabayad ka pa eh may training naman talaga pag papasok sa call center,” Melisen Taquiqui, a student who is planning to enter the call center industry said.

Frances Claire Torres, a call center agent said that these schools have their both advantages ad disadvantages. “Maganda naman na may mga schools na nag-o-offer ng call center training lalo na kung may link sila sa mga companies. Siguro ang hindi lang okay dun ay yung nagpapabayad sila kasi wala naman talagang assurance na tatanggapin yung mga trainees sa mga aaplayan nilang call centers. I think it’s a little bit useless somehow kasi nasa capabilities yun ng isang tao.”

Turqueza also said that they are planning to expand their training programs and to establish branches to other provinces in the Cordillera.

In the past years, outsourcing has become very popular in the Baguio since contact center companies have been built around the city. Department of Labor and Employment said that one of the reasons why call centers are flourishing is that they are benefited by the wide recession.

(Originally posted for an Online Journalism class)