Gopee-Scoon: Teleperformance to invest $28 million in Trinidad and Tobago

Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon is optimistic that the arrival of international customer service company Teleperformance will improve Trinidad and Tobago's economy while offering valuable skills training to young people.

At a media conference about the beginning of Teleperformance's business operations in TT at the ministry's office, Nicholas Towers, Port of Spain on Wednesday, Gopee-Scoon said the company's presence would benefit the country. She said it was the first of many foreign investments.

Teleperformance offers business optimisation strategies and customer support services in 88 countries and has 420,000 workers with offices in Guyana, Colombia and Peru.

Gopee-Scoon said, for the first year Teleperformance will be investing $28 million in TT and is expected to start with 60 employees, and was optimistic it would continue to expand.

Noting the importance of skills training in customer service and digitisation, she said that young people entering the workforce would benefit the most from this programme.

Citing the government's experience with facilitating another international customer service company IQor, Gopee-Scoon added Teleperformance would also hire people to fill all levels of operations including senior staff.

"They (Teleperformance) are hiring 60 young people, perhaps people just out of school with their CSEC passes, and we like that.

"Everyone is looking for that first employer to put on their resume and this is going to give them the chance to get trained up, skilled up and ready for the world of work.

"What we hope to have here is where the key positions at the senior levels would also be filled by our nationals so there will be that training and upskilling and opportunities so that eventually it becomes wholly operated by TT nationals.

"We are very pleased about where we are being able hire them especially in a post-covid environment."

She said Teleperformance intends to hire up to 1000 more workers by the end of the year.

Also at the news conference was CEO for Teleperformance Latin America Andres Gutierrez who said his company recognised the potential of beginning operations in TT for some time.

He said last year the company attracted €45 million to the region and created 20,000 jobs over the last two years.

He credited this success to the passion of the people in the region and was confident this would continue as the company sets up shop in TT.

"The base for this usual cycle is the talent and the people we have been able to attract.

"Attracting people, developing them, retaining them and offering them career paths is the key in order to keep that wheel spinning.

"Our clients are more than satisfied, they are promoters of our work.

"I'm sure TT will be part of this mutual cycle and that this pilot we are announcing is going to be growing really fast and that we will be able to generate employment and attract a lot of young people."

Referring to country manager Luis Cerrato, who also attended the conference, Gutierrez said Cerrato entered the company at an entry-level position years ago but was promoted to his current position, noting this was example of the opportunities available for workers.

Chairman of InvesTT Franka Costelloe also praised the company for recognising the potential of TT's workforce and urged citizens to recognise the opportunity to advance the country's economy while improving their lives.