CALL centre giant Teleperformance which employs around 2,000 people in Northern Ireland has secured a major new contract to provide services to the Student Loans Company (SLC).
The firm has centres in Bangor and Newry and took over the management of Liberty Insurance's contact centre in Fermanagh in July.
Earlier this year, it announced plans to create another 800 jobs over the next three years in Enniskillen - the largest jobs announcement outside Belfast in more than a decade.
Teleperformance will provide a UK-wide contact centre service for students and graduates seeking information, advice and guidance on financial support and funding available to pursue higher education courses and on the repayment of loans.
Bangor will be the north's centre for the Student Loans Company services.
Teleperformance already provides services to a number of blue chip companies across the world including supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and car maker Renault as well as the Passport Service.
SLC head of customer services Christine Nunn said: "We are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Teleperformance where they help us to deliver the highest level of customer service to our customers."
Rachel Robinson, executive vice-president for public sector services at Teleperformance said: "We are delighted that SLC has decided to re-award this contract to Teleperformance. We have operated as a trusted partner to them for almost five years now, and this new contract will provide us the platform to build on the significant achievements that we have already accomplished working closely together".
Teleperformance employs more than 182,000 people worldwide across 270 contact centres in 62 countries.
The firm provides services to more than 160 markets while revenue in 2014 topped £2 billion.
In October, it was announced £2.75m in public money would be used to support the creation of 800 jobs in Enniskillen.
Teleperformance opened its first operation in the north in Bangor in 1998.
