Bringing together business and academic worlds
Teesside University offers Orange managers throughout the UK the opportunity to boost their professional development with a foundation degree in contact centre management
The degree, a partnership between Teesside University, Orange and Darlington College, is a combination of taught courses, in-company training and work-based learning – allowing managers to complete the degree in any location. Managers from across the country are chosen for the degree by Orange as part of the Orange Management Academy.
Adrian Evans, director of corporate programmes at Teeside University Business School, said: "This is an excellent example of our workforce development strategy in action. We have a high calibre of manager studying on this course, quality managers who oversee 100 people.
"What makes the course innovative is how the managers can bring their in-house company training and massive experience into the framework of an academic qualification."
Shaun Brankin, the Orange Talent professional development specialist, said: "Developing the foundation Degree in Contact Centre Management with the university has allowed us to bring together perfectly academic and business worlds and provide a great tool for developing and retaining talent in Orange."
Orange managers who have undertaken the foundation degree in contact centre management have given it their approval.
Marcus Stevenson, 35, who works for Orange in Plymouth, said: "The course has reinvigorated some of the skills I already had and I'm now able to reuse these skills in the workplace. I can take what we're learning into the future of the business."
Darren Austin, 39, who works in the company's Darlington offices, said: "By doing this foundation degree I'm giving something back to the company. Some of the elements have been immediately useful, such as a module on CV writing which I was able to apply in the recruitment and selection process."
