An emerging number of U.S.-based companies have returned call centers to the States the last few years. Nowhere has this trend been more apparent than in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Economic Development reported that 13 call center operations have opened up or expanded in Georgia since July 2008.
There’s no intuitive reason that Georgia would standout from other states, but there is a reason call centers are gravitating and growing in Georgia – education and training opportunities. 22 Georgia colleges offer customer service certificate programs. Call center industry association chapters densely populate the Georgian landscape and by 2011, the state expects to have the most management-level and advance training programs and professional certification prep courses in the U.S.
These three factors create a robust and talented group of employees. With managers no longer experiencing the intense competition over the reduced call center opportunities during the recession, companies should take note of Georgia’s example. When searching for talent rich populations, three primary considerations should be: collegiate educational programs, industry association chapters and advanced training courses.
[eventPDF]