BPO and contact centre provider Firstsource Solutions has launched the world’s first ever university-accredited degree for employees working in customer contact management.

The BSc degree, accredited by Ulster University, will be delivered through an online curriculum, and is aimed at call centre team leaders and mid-managers looking to become professionally certified in their field. The subject matter is intended to reflect the changing nature of the contact centre industry, touching on data analytics and digital channels of communication such as social media and webchat, while also encompassing the industry’s more traditional elements, including recruitment, training and building customer loyalty.

Firstsource’s president of customer management Gavin Snell commented: “The customer contact management industry is now a vital engine of jobs and skills in the UK, especially among young people. It is therefore right that this sector gets the professional recognition it deserves.

“This partnership will give those employees who did not get the chance of higher education the opportunity to gain a degree, proving an attractive incentive for future employees of the company. It will also help further professionalise the contact centre industry and raise standards for our clients and, in turn, improve services for customers.”

Students will be able to enrol on the course from September 2015 onward.

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