Global business process management provider reaches 500-employee milestone in first year in West Midlands
Firstsource Solutions, a global provider of business process management services, has grown to 500 employees in one year at its Birmingham office, exceeding its goal of creating 360 jobs in the West Midlands.
With this growth, Firstsource now ranks among the top companies in the area in terms of recruitment.
Its Birmingham operations provide customer services to financial services clients, including two of the UK’s largest retail banks.
This expansion reflects the growth the region is seeing as an emerging financial hub – with the West Midlands playing host to prominent financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC.
To support its growth ambitions, Firstsource is taking part in the Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) training scheme in collaboration with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to support the region’s economic recovery.
The WMCA offers job training packages aimed at residents seeking work. The funding is delivered through SWAP and designed to give people the skills the region’s businesses need – those taking part receive tailored training for the role, work experience and a guaranteed job interview.
West Midlands Mayor and chair of the WMCA, Andy Street, recently visited Firstsource’s offices in Victoria Square to meet some of its 35 SWAP trainees.
He said: “The West Midlands, known as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, is fast becoming a technology and financial services hub. It’s attracting big banking names and Firstsource’s expansion helps to further cement the region’s position as a financial cluster. In recent years, several renowned financial institutions have recognised our region’s deep pool of specialist talent.
“The WMCA helps to fund a series of measures to help grow our talent pool as part of my 100,000 jobs plan, one of which is the SWAP programme. SWAP offers unemployed people a real and tangible route back into work and a chance to learn new, much-needed skills.”
Rajiv Malhotra, head of Europe, Firstsource, said: “We’re thrilled to have exceeded our growth expectations by reaching 500 employees in Birmingham. This achievement was enabled by the unrivalled support the West Midlands provides for rapidly-expanding businesses. We’re also proud to support the West Midlands’ burgeoning financial sector and on a local level to partner with the WMCA through SWAP to offer the training and help to get more people into employment. We believe that by working together, we can make a real impact in the community and support the region’s economic recovery.”
