Global financial giant Prudential Financial Inc. is soon to open a technology and call center in El Paso, Texas. With a plan to create 300 call center jobs in next three years, the facility is going to be only the second such center in Prudential's global operations. Half of the anticipated positions are reserved for the military veterans and their family members.
With 1.6 million veterans living in the state, Texas has the second largest veteran population nationally, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. So it was hardly surprising that Prudential decided to set up this 300-seat call center facility in a Texan city. El Paso famously houses Fort Bliss, a military base that transitions some 6,000 veterans per year into the job market.
The high quality of the labor force available in the area was one of the major factors that influenced Prudential’s decision. Prudential reps said the move is perfectly in sync with the company’s commitment to provide training and employment to veterans, military service members and their families. The El Paso call center will provide employment to about 150 military veterans and a large number of spouses of Fort Bliss soldiers.
In a press conference at El Paso City Hall, Prudential CEO John Strangfeld said the company will get $1.15 million in funding from the Texas Enterprise Fund; more money is expected to come in the form of unspecified local incentives.
Prudential's new call center will be housed inside an HGS USA call center located in East El Paso. HGS, a local customer relationship management company, has been contracted by Prudential to help with the six- to 18-month training program, and the University of Texas will help in operating the program. Trainees will be paid a stipend until they complete the training program.
In terms of capacity, the new El Paso center is going to be second only to the company’s Ireland call center, which currently has more than 1,000 employees.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson