Farmout Central Intouch Inc is now accredited by TESDA to offer a Finishing Course for Call Center Agents

The modular courses offered are English Proficiency, North American, Australian, and British Culture, Telemarketing and Sales, and Achieving Customer Delight.

Farmout Central Intouch Inc has been granted the Certificate of TVET Program Registration WTR No. 0601042009. Pursuant to Republic Act No.7796 creating the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and in accordance with TESDA Board Resolution 98-03 dated January 23, 1998. The certificate of TVET Program registration was granted on the basis of the institution's compliance with the prescribed minimum requirements for the conducting the course.

This means that greater employment opportunities are now within the grasp of many of our fellow Filipinos and Filipinas looking for a promising career in the call center industry. Jane Chua, President of Farmout, explains, “Aside from offering excellent courses to better equip future and existing call center representatives, we offer them hands on training giving them a real experience on how the industry really works. This is definitely a distinct advantage for those who really want to learn and make a great career in the call center industry.”

This also will benefit existing call centers by outsourcing their training of agents to Farmout. Wison Chua, MIS Head explains, “Contact centers invest heavily on training their agents with good results but with a hefty price tag. Why not significantly cut the cost of training by outsourcing their training to us yet maintain or even surpass the performance of their CSRs? I also figure, why not let the career agents enroll in our program then go back to their respective centers as superstar professional agents?”

This also gives opportunities for entrepreneurs by franchising the Farmout Call Center and Farmout Call Center Training business in their respective areas. By replicating the success of Farmout, the business model may also work in their respective areas.

For enrollment and franchising inquiries please email: jobi.millar[at]farmout.ph

Summer is here and I know for a fact that most companies conduct their human resources development activities at this time of the year.

I got an email from Anna (a high school friend) asking other friends and me for team building ideas. In short a really good team building activity. I guess this is for their annual corporate team building. She mentioned that it should be one that is aside from anything involving heights and ropes. I replied that I know a team building activity that involves bikinis and beach to which she replied; "That is very interesting to know. Bikini will be what we wear underneath and beaches will be the venue. Ha ha, how much? Free goodies enough?"

I was sweet-talked to it so I had no choice but to ask for more details. I was informed that the said team building activity would be sometime in April. I asked for specific team competencies she wants them to enhance, the goals she would like the team to achieve and who are the participants. Anna replied, "Communication and synergy, I guess. We don’t really have a team yet; we just have a "group" thrown in with each other assigned to the same department. Everybody works on their own and makes rules of their own; it’s the culture of the boss."

There are many team building activities out there that anyone can think of. Watch reality shows (Extra Challenge, The Apprentice, Amazing Race, and yes even the pathetic Pinoy Big Brother) and you could get a lot of ideas. For all we know, the activities of the shows were conceptualized by trainers and consultants using SLEs (structured learning experiences) and training icebreakers. Team building is fun and very effective if the participants are committed. The goals and objectives of the entire exercise should be well set and the facilitator must conduct a good great debriefing session afterwards otherwise the activity will just be a corporate outing disguised as an expensive training program.

And yes, a team more than just a group of people. A team is a group of committed interacting individuals sharing a common goal and the responsibility for achieving it. Team building is not just a buzzword, a catch phrase or a training fad. Team building is an intervention specifically designed to improve a company's organizational effectiveness. Team building is also a skill and any skill must be practiced to be mastered. A team building activity is an excellent way of boosting corporate staff morale and improving group dynamics and communication. Team building is exciting and challenging and has almost unlimited possibilities because human potential is almost unlimited.

Bikini and beach for a team building activity. It would be inexpensive and lots of fun!

You could buy books on team building and other office productivity tools here: