Major jobs boost for region as Sky opens base
ENTERTAINMENT and communications company Sky has announced plans to open a new customer service centre in Sheffield, creating 500 jobs.
Although the broadcaster announced last October that it was set to create 500 positions, it has kept the location of the centre under wraps until now.
The move is part of a strategy to create 1,500 new customer service jobs across the UK and is a boost for the region given the impending effects of the government’s public sector spending cuts.
The move is also a fillip for the group as the controversial departures of Sky Sports football presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray continues to court attention.
Sky, whose parent company BSkyB reported half year operating profit up by 26% to £520m this morning, said recruitment for management positions would begin immediately with customer advisor positions being advertised from April onwards.
Chris Stylianou, director of Sky Customer Contact Centres, said: “We’re very pleased to be coming to Sheffield. It is an exciting time for us as a business; we are performing well, provide excellent customer service and as a result need more of the right people to work with us.
“We have picked Sheffield for its pool of talented prospective employees and its good transport links. We look forward to recruiting a great team here in Sheffield and making a real contribution to the local community.”
The Sky customer service centre will open July, taking calls regarding Sky’s TV, Talk and Broadband services. Once fully operational it is expected to deal with up to 9,000 customer calls per day.
Sheffield Central MP, Paul Blomfield, added: “I’m delighted that Sky is investing in Sheffield’s economy through the creation of its new customer centre and welcome the 500 new jobs it will bring to the city. This will be a very timely boost to the local economy.”
Sheffield will be Sky’s seventh customer centre location with other sites based in Dunfermline, Livingston, Uddingston, Leeds, Stockport and Shepton Mallet.
A further 1,000 Sky jobs will be created across the UK in 2011, adding to the 16,500 people already employed by Sky across the UK and Ireland.
