Call centre jobs have already moved from the UK to India

A conference in Newport has heard that Wales' 24,000 call centre workforce is one of the best in the UK and earns �400m per annum.

Consumer call centres have provided huge numbers of jobs in Wales but, in recent months, more and more companies have said they will be employing people in countries like India to run their operations.

The message from the conference is that Wales can stand up to this migration of jobs.

Research by Incomes Data Services has found that the Welsh call centre workforce has the lowest staff turnover rate in Britain and is only half of that in India.

The chief executive of National Rail Enquiries, which employs several hundred at its Cardiff call centre, said earlier this month that Indian call centre workers were better educated and did a better job than those in Britain.

He added that moving operations abroad would save �25m over several years.

Important industry

Delegates at the conference debated the potential effects of "outsourcing" on the contact centre industry and the strategies that could be implemented in the sector for future growth.

There are over 130 employers operating in 29 towns throughout Wales.

Average salaries at all levels in the call centre sector are above the Welsh average, but remain competitive against other UK regions.