Spark Energy is to recruit a further 160 members of staff during 2018.
The Selkirk-based niche energy supplier for home movers marked the Spark Academy’s first anniversary by announcing the plans and that it had also delivered more than 23,000 hours of training in the first year of its dedicated on-site academy, upskilling nearly 200 employees.
They will be based across the business’s customer service and back-office departments including IT, finance, legal and compliance, HR and training.
One year on from being officially opened by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, 125 customer service staff have been trained alongside 67 people in non-customer facing roles who each received a two-day induction within the facility.
As one of the fastest growing businesses in the UK and with a commitment to constantly improving customer experience, Spark recognised the need to ensure access to well-trained new employees as well as providing career long learning opportunities for their existing team who now operate from bases in the Borders, Edinburgh and Horsham in the south of England.
Spark’s Director of People of Culture, John Hawkins, who was the architect of the Academy, this week received news he was shortlisted by the Institute of Customer Service’s Customer Satisfaction Awards in the Strategic Leadership Category – a top honour from the highly respected industry body.
Mr Hawkins said: “This is a fantastic milestone for the Spark Academy and the volume of training delivered is testament to its benefits for not only Spark and its customers, but the entire Border’s region.
“Most of Spark’s staff live within 10 miles of Selkirk, making an invaluable contribution to the jobs market in the local area. But we’re growing quickly and now also have teams in Edinburgh and Horsham so we’re always on the lookout for new talent to help the business provide a great experience for our customers.
“The Spark Academy is a vital part of this process – it’s the incubator where each new recruit spends time to learn about us, our customers and culture and of course about their role. The current team also benefit from courses designed to develop their skills and careers.”
