Contract loss prompts layoffs at Belleville call centre

Concentrix employs more than 400 people at its call centre in Belleville.

For the last two days the company has been informing 240 of their workers that their jobs are redundant after the loss of a client contract.

Concentrix spokesperson Brooke Beiting says not all the employees whose jobs are redundant, however, will find themselves unemployed.

“The good news is that over the next month or so, we’ll be able to place more than a hundred of those folks on other programs,” Beiting said.

Beiting says there is also the possibility that a number of employees may be able to work on other Concentrix programs.

The international company offers services in customer management, company tech support and customer service.

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Belleville mayor Mitch Panciuk says Concentrix informed the municipality of the layoffs last week.

“It still is very hard on the families and the individuals who lose their jobs, but we’re in a much better place than we would have been a number of years ago,” he said.

Panciuk says the city was very successful helping residents find employment when Sears closed its doors several years ago.

“We were able to transition most of those people very quickly into new positions,” the mayor added.

The municipality has a career fair planned for the end of April and Panciuk says they also have the Work in Belleville program to help displaced employees.

The job fair takes place April 23 at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre.