BELLEVUE, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Nebraska Commissioner of Labor John Albin will join Bellevue University leaders and representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 9 a.m., to announce a new partnership between the University and the Departments of Labor to jointly develop a series of registered apprenticeship programs for employers in Nebraska and across the country.
Team members from North End Teleservices, a global provider of multi-channel contact center services, headquartered in northeast Omaha, will be special guests at the National Apprenticeship Week Event, which will be held in the Criss Auditorium located in the Hitchcock Humanities Center on the Bellevue University campus, 1040 Bruin Blvd., in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Bellevue University, one of the nation’s leaders in preparing adults for lifelong career success with career-relevant knowledge and skills, is the first four-year educational institution in Nebraska to enter into a partnership through the USDOL Apprenticeship Program. According to University President Mary Hawkins, the University’s College of Continuing and Professional Education has already developed a Standards of Apprenticeship (SOA) program for the Office Manager/Front Line Supervisor, with other occupational apprenticeship programs expected to follow.
“Our partnership with the USDOL and the NDOL exemplifies Bellevue University’s commitment to prepare people to thrive in a connected, competitive world,” said University President Mary Hawkins. In Nebraska and nationally, apprenticeships continue to grow. According to the USDOL, there are more than 545,000 apprenticeships nationwide in more than 1,000 occupations, including between 5,400 and 10,400 in Nebraska.
Debra Cremeens-Risinger, State Director of the USDOL Office of Apprenticeship, says the new relationship with Bellevue University benefits both individuals seeking employment, as well as employers. “This partnership enables the USDOL to meet the needs of our constituents, who are the American people,” she said. “Not only are nine out of 10 of apprentices employed after they complete an apprenticeship, apprentices also earn significantly more over the span of their careers than their peers who don’t complete these types of programs.” Cremeens-Risinger added that employers see positive returns from their investment, as well. “For every dollar spent on apprenticeship programs, employers receive approximately $1.50 in ROI.”
According to the USDOL, Registered Apprenticeships include requirements for related classroom instruction and paid on-the-job learning with appropriate supervision. Apprentices who successfully complete the instruction and training receive a nationally recognized, portable certificate of completion.
Carmen Tapio, CEO of North End Teleservices, is proud to be the first workforce partner participating in the partnership. Founded in 2015, North End Teleservices provides call center and back office support to local and international clients. The company, which was named the 2016 Greater Omaha Chamber’s Small Business of the Year for 2016, will hire its first apprentice, who will receive training through the BU-USDOL partnership. “Our goal is to employ up to 200 people,” said Tapio, “and this partnership will help ensure our employees have the skills needed to support both our current operations and our future customers.”
This initial apprenticeship with North End is the first Contact Center Outsourcing apprenticeship in the state and one of the first in the country. The company, the Departments of Labor and Bellevue University plan on developing additional apprenticeships to provide a Contact Center career path, which according to Tapio, makes sense as Omaha has long been acknowledged as the birthplace of the outsourced contact center industry.
About Bellevue University
Founded in 1966, Bellevue University is a non-profit, fully accredited university with more than 50,000 graduates worldwide. The University is a recognized national leader in preparing students for lifelong success with career-relevant knowledge and skills, while making college affordable. Routinely ranked among the nation’s top military-friendly and open access institutions, the University serves students at its main campus in Bellevue, Nebraska, and everywhere online. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission through the U.S. Department of Education.
North End Teleservices
Founded in 2015, North End Teleservices is a global provider of omni-channel contact center services and its leadership has over 85 years of helping clients with outsourced services. The company offers services, including customer service, social media management, business-to-business sales, student registration, transportation logistics, member services and back office support to customers in insurance, travel and hospitality, financial and retail industries. North End Teleservices is a certified minority-owned enterprise located in a federal HUBzone with the mission of providing Service Excellence and Changing Lives.
