Pictured Bro McFerran, Managing Director presenting Allstate Northern Ireland employees with their 5 year service medals at Strabane.
The Strabane site was originally set up as a business processing operation with both contact centre and data processing roles in place. However the business soon proved itself as a capable, competitive and sustainable proposition by providing excellent customer service. On the basis of the world class work being carried out, other more complex IT roles were transferred to Strabane and this in turn drove the growth both in staff numbers and scale of operations. The site now boosts a comprehensive range of IT roles.
Allstate Northern Ireland has been an advocate of inclusiveness and of providing access to employment opportunities to all. From those first days in August 2004, the company was keen to tap into and exploit the potential of local talent. The workforce now comprises school leavers, employees with many years experience in other manufacturing sectors, graduates and also foreign nationals.
The company also recruited and trained long-term unemployed people through the Department of Employment and Learning's Bridge to Employment Programme and offered IT careers to many who considered working in the IT industry beyond them. These individuals took advantage of the company's inclusive approach to employment and are now valued members of staff, some of whom have since been promoted to more senior positions of responsibility. All of these people have contributed to making Allstate NI Strabane one of the most diverse and industrious work profiles in the North West.
The company is particularly proud of those people who had previously never switched on a computer, or who had limited IT skills. Following the company's comprehensive induction programme, not only did they exceed in their roles but went to on achieve promotion to higher level IT roles. Two such individuals are Deirdre Gormley and Charles Duddy.
Deirdre, a graduate in Pharmacology returned from London, found it difficult to get a job related to her academic discipline so she decided to accept a job offer from Allstate NI. "I wanted to work in the local area and Allstate NI provided that perfect opportunity. Beginning with data processing work, I soon progressed to the Property Ratings team, a specialist business area. I find the work both challenging and rewarding and I've found that I can apply many of the behaviours I developed in my academic studies to my job - accuracy and attention to detail, working to deadlines and so on..."
Charles explains; "I joined Allstate NI from the Civil Service with limited IT experience. Following the excellent training I received, like Deirdre, I was deployed in a data processing team. Our team went on to win a national award for the quality of the work we were producing. Since then I was promoted to the Allstate Financial helpdesk which provides specialist software support. I am proud and pleased to be receiving my long service award and I look forward to further developing my career with Allstate NI."
Allstate NI is proud of what staff have achieved over the last few years and looks forward to the ongoing development of the Strabane site by attracting even higher value and higher skilled work to the site.
Allstate NI is now one of the biggest employers in Strabane and as such is a major contributor to the local economy as well as taking an active role in the community through numerous charitable and other educational and social events and activities.
The company marked the occasion of its fifth anniversary by hosting internal celebrations and by recognizing the contribution of it longest serving members of staff when Bro McFerran, Managing Director presented the long service awards.
