About 70 workers at the Concentrix customer care centre are facing an uncertain future after Holden decided to return its service call unit to Melbourne next year.
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The automotive manufacturer had helped establish a service delivery centre in conjunction with Federation University and Concentrix at the IBM building in Federation University Park, opening in October 2014.
Concentrix had promised to expand on the original 100 mostly Federation University students who formed the basis of the workforce there, and had also planned to move to its own premises within the Ballarat Technology Park.
In a written statement Holden confirmed it would be changing provider and move its Customer Care team into its Port Melbourne headquarters in 2017.
A former employee of Concentrix confirmed the Holden account had been terminated and that the call service would be returning to Melbourne, leaving at least 70 workers unsure about whether their employment would continue.
General manager for Concentrix Australia and New Zealand Peter Monk told The Courier yesterday that while he could not comment on details of Concentrix client’s accounts, the company was committed to the agreement with Federation University and to its employees.
He stressed that Concentrix was continually speaking to present and prospective clients about building employment and business possibilities.
Concentrix entered into a collaboration with Federation University proposing students work for the business outsourcing company, described at the time as an ‘earning and learning concept’.
“The Ballarat Customer Care Delivery Centre, employing about 100 people, is a key part of Concentrix’s global presence in 25 countries,” Mr Monk said at the 2014 opening in Ballarat.
“Australia’s leading car manufacturer derives great value from this partnership by utilising a highly competent local resource base which offers significant flexibility to fulfil their client service needs”.
Federation University declined to comment.
The former Napthine Government was also instrumental in bringing Concentrix to the Ballarat Technology Park but it is uncertain what financial assistance from the State Government was made at the time.
The US-owned outsourcing company has hit international headlines this week over a controversy in the UK over the mismanagement of a ‘fraud and error’ system in the assessment of government tax credits.
The scheme which distributes credits to people in work on lower incomes has become a British scandal after around 6,000 people, many on low incomes, had their tax credits incorrectly stopped.
The UK’s Tax Office, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, has since decided not to renew Concentrix’s contract.
The Courier is not alleging the contract termination in Australia is related.
GM is ceasing manufacturing operations in Australia next year.
