Tuesday, January 25, 2011

SkySong Supports Hundreds of Jobs in Scottsdale

A local business collaboration venture is supporting hundreds of jobs in Scottsdale.

A recent report from the Greater Phoenix Economic Council found that SkySong has supported 733 jobs and generated $113 million for the local economy since 2009. The local venture supports everything from start-ups to established companies.

SkySong is a collaboration among the City of Scottsdale, Arizona State University Foundation, Plaza Companies, and USAA Realty Company. The goal is to provide an innovative place where local businesses can work both independently and together.

"This study by GPEC really demonstrates how successful SkySong has been despite the challenging economic conditions," Sharon Harper, president and CEO of the Plaza Companies, told the Phoenix Business Journal. "We're seeing some significant economic impact taking place because of the companies SkySong has brought together, and we're excited to see how that impact grows as we move into the future."

GPEC predicts that SkySong will create 5,361 direct and indirect jobs and have a regional economic impact of $9.2 billion during the next 30 years. The companies already involved in the venture, as well as those yet to come, will help fuel the facility itself as well as the local economy.

"The companies at SkySong are a diverse, growing mix of organizations that are positioning themselves well in the global economy," Rosen said. "It's no wonder the economic impact of the project has been so strong to date, and it bodes well for the kind of impact GPEC is projecting in the future."

Monday, January 24, 2011

Customer Service Jobs Phoenix Benefit from AII

Those with customer service jobs Phoenix are among some of the employees who will benefit from a new organization.

The Arizona Technology Council Foundation recently launched the revamped Arizona Innovation Institute. The program, which was previously only available to major organizations and is now accessible to companies of all sizes, provides local businesses with training in creativity and decision-making methods.

The new institute is a collaborative effort between the ATCF and the FarSight Group, Inc., a local firm that helps companies innovate and stay ahead of the competition. Its methods have been used by such notable entities as NASA, The Pentagon, Harvard University, and the Phoenix Business Journal.

"We are facing changes that cannot be addressed with traditional methods, because change itself has changed," George Land, co-founder of FarSight and the AII, said. "We no longer face incremental, predictable changes, but massive unprecedented shifts. Many solutions that worked in the past now simply cause more problems. A whole new perspective is needed to successfully approach this new era."

The AII offers a variety of classes and on-site sessions where businesses can learn about new and emerging customer needs, processes for creating business strategy, and methods for creating innovative solutions to existing business challenges.

The methods taught by the AII can be applied to:
  • Customer service
  • New market identification
  • Manufacturing
  • New product development
  • Product delivery
  • Organizational design
  • Sales and marketing
  • IT and process alignment
Any employee who can contribute to their company's innovation - including executive leaders, business unit and product line leaders, profit and loss responsibility,business owners, and research and development - will benefit from taking courses with the AII.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

kgb Creating Jobs for San Antonio

One company with a strong local presence is creating more jobs for San Antonio.

Information services company kgb USA recently announced its plans to hire 150 additional employees at the company's Directory Assistance Call Center in San Antonio.

The majority of the new employees will work as agents to provide tech support for fiber optic TV, Internet, and phone services. There also will be positions available for management support staff. All of these new jobs will allow kgb to offer technical customer care.

Candidates for agent positions should understand:
  • Broadband Internet
  • Client and server software technologies
  • Computer hardware
  • Network and operating systems
  • Home networking
  • E-mail and client setup
  • Networking components
About 400 people currently work at kgb USA's call center. The new job openings will not only provide opportunities for job seekers throughout the community, but also will provide more career development opportunities for current employees.

Anyone interested in applying for agent or management support jobs can apply in-person at kgb USA's office or can fill out an application online. Applications will be accepted through the end of January. Those hired can expect to receive comprehensive benefits, competitive wages, and a bonus plan.

kgb USA provides directory assistance and enhanced information services to the telecommunications, customer care, and enhanced information services industries.

The company chose San Antonio for the location of its call center - which opened in 1999 - because of the area's strong and diverse labor market and abundance of technical schools, colleges, and universities.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Jobs in Dallas TX Have Promising Future

The future looks good for those seeking jobs in Dallas TX.

A recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas is predicting that employers throughout Texas will add at least 250,000 jobs - an increase of 2.5 percent - during 2011. That's higher than the 2.3 percent increase anticipated by Economist Ray Perryman and the 2.1 percent growth expected by the Texas Comptroller's Office.

If employment numbers from the end of 2010 are any indication, then Texas is on the right track. Although the state's unemployment rate increased from 8.1 percent to 8.2 percent during November, employers still continued to add jobs on a monthly and yearly basis.

Texas employed a total of 10,432,200 workers during November, which is up from 10,413,100 workers during October and a 1.9 percent increase from last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Dallas, the unemployment rate rose from 8 percent to 8.3 percent, but employment numbers also grew. The area employed 2,045,600 workers during November, which is up from 2,038,600 workers during October and a 1.6 percent increase from last year.

Several industries are contributing to the local and statewide employment growth, including everything from manufacturing and sales (Click here to take a look at some available Texas sales jobs) to healthcare and education.

"Growth in total nonfarm jobs and manufacturing and energy production has recently increased, although the construction sector continues to be a drag," the Fed report notes. "Leading indicators have generally been increasing over the past three months."