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Phoning FONEMED?
You're calling Newfoundland
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the province's call center recruitment efforts are beginning to pay dividends.

"We've been continuing our efforts, and we're finding that we're getting a lot more interest, particularly out of the United States," says Fiona Langor, associate director, Business Development, NETWORK Newfoundland & Labrador (www.netwk.nf.ca). The organization is a partnership between the provincial government and telecom provider NewTel Enterprises Ltd. to assist companies in establishing call centers.

"Companies that are very well known and recognized are starting to approach the province, and we are working with several of them at the present time," Langor reports. "One of our more recent successes is FONEMED, which basically offers access to medical information by telephone. The company is very happy with the work that's being done at their facility here in St. John's, and they're very pleased with the labor force."

Air Canada Expands in Manitoba
Manitoba is attracting call centers too, with success stories that include Air Canada, MCI, SR&J and Gage Marketing Group.

Air Canada, for instance, has completed a major expansion of its Winnipeg customer service center. "The city offers us substantial benefits in terms of facilities, services and access to a skilled, bilingual and diverse work force," a company spokesman says.

The provincial government is assisting Air Canada with start-up and training costs by providing a $2.4 million forgiveable loan. In return, the company has committed to creating 500 new jobs during the next three years.

Air Canada's expansion follows a highly successful 1998 for the Manitoba Call Center Team, in which the organization helped attract three new companies (MCI, SR&J and Gage Marketing Group). Those firms are expected to create about 700 call center jobs during their first three years of operation.