Rogers call centre expected to bring 350 jobs to Kelowna

Rogers announced Thursday it will be opening a new call centre in Kelowna next summer.

The 32,000-square-foot facility on Dickson Avenue in the Landmark District is expected to employ 350 people initially.

However, the telecom company said it expects the number of employees to eventually increase to 500.

WATCH: (March 20, 2019) Jobs still plentiful in Okanagan

1:05 Jobs still plentiful in Okanagan

The call centre is expected to answer a million calls from Rogers and Fido wireless customers each year.

B.C.’s premier, the province’s jobs minister and Kelowna’s mayor were quoted in the company’s announcement praising the new call centre as a positive indicator of B.C.’s economy.

Over the last five months, Kelowna’s unemployment rate has been hovering under 4.5 per cent, which is below the national average.

Get weekly money news

Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday.

Sign up for weekly money newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The latest figures for August show Kelowna’s unemployment rate was just 4.4 per cent.

Despite the low unemployment rate, Rogers’ regional president for B.C., Rick Sellers, said he has “zero concerns” about being able to fill the positions.

Sellers said the local talent pool was one of the things that made Rogers decide to locate the call centre in Kelowna after considering other locations in the region.

Hiring is expected to take place next spring.

There will be entry-level positions as well as managerial and human resources jobs.