Home Working
Following a request made at the Highlands & Islands Enterprise Contact Centre Forum, an opportunity arose to investigate the establishment of a robust homeworking experiment.
It was essential to determine how the development of homeworking could increase the business offer of local contact centre operators, whilst overcoming barriers in recruitment due to rurality, such as greater travel to work distances than the UK average, and limited public transport and road infrastructure.
Vertex, one of the region's largest employers, was keen to support the investigation and play an active part. Their United States operation enjoys a great deal of success with homeworking and was keen to actively develop more acceptance of the principle in the UK.
The report was commissioned by the Highland Employer Coalition to chart how Vertex, HIE and HEC worked in partnership with key agencies to devise a project that resulted in 12 Highland based residents successfully gaining employment via homeworking.
The participants had experienced various barriers in gaining sustainable, quality employment and the homeworking pilot offered them flexible, accessible employment from their home base. The report highlights some of the business benefits, as well as the positive impacts for the participating individuals, the wider community and the environment.
For further information please contact David Stewart, Director, Highland Employer Coalition.
It was essential to determine how the development of homeworking could increase the business offer of local contact centre operators, whilst overcoming barriers in recruitment due to rurality, such as greater travel to work distances than the UK average, and limited public transport and road infrastructure.
Vertex, one of the region's largest employers, was keen to support the investigation and play an active part. Their United States operation enjoys a great deal of success with homeworking and was keen to actively develop more acceptance of the principle in the UK.
The report was commissioned by the Highland Employer Coalition to chart how Vertex, HIE and HEC worked in partnership with key agencies to devise a project that resulted in 12 Highland based residents successfully gaining employment via homeworking.
The participants had experienced various barriers in gaining sustainable, quality employment and the homeworking pilot offered them flexible, accessible employment from their home base. The report highlights some of the business benefits, as well as the positive impacts for the participating individuals, the wider community and the environment.
For further information please contact David Stewart, Director, Highland Employer Coalition.
