Texas Workforce Commission Eases Contact Center Operations

According to a recent report by WWFA, the Texas Workforce Commission announced plans to cut back on call center operations after experiencing unprecedented call volumes last year.

During the peak months of the pandemic between March and December 2020, TWC claims it received roughly 173 million calls from unemployed Texans, requiring the agency to install four new call centers. However, call volumes slowed down dramatically, now calling for shut down operations and reduce staff.

Although life seems to be returning to a state of pre-pandemic normalcy, TWC plans to prepare for any potential relapse by upgrading outdated infrastructure with new computer systems. TWC will utilize $36 million in funding, previously reserved for the same reason before the pandemic began.

With this infrastructure upgrade, TWC will be able to provide better quality service, reduce operational costs, increase accuracy for customer requests, and improve security and data privacy. Most importantly, TWC will have the ability to integrate internal and external IT enhancements, so simple tasks and processes gain automation, reducing demand for additional human labor.

Vaccines are now readily available and restrictions are easing across the board, so unemployment rates should continue to sink in the coming months. However, TWC call centers have embrace the responsibility to prepare for any shift in the workforce by moving into the digital era.  

Edited by Maurice Nagle