The next U.S. Census is taking place this year, and to be ready for the myriad of questions Americans will have about how the U.S. Census Bureau and its contractor, Lockheed Martin (News - Alert) Information Systems & Global Services, is opening 11 temporary contact centers nationwide. To be operated by Lockheed Martin subcontractors IBM and Vangent they will employ a total of some 8,000 agents, providing a much needed jobs boost during these difficult times.

 

The U.S. Census, Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors have now cut the ribbons on the largest of these centers, in Sandy Utah, which is in the Salt Lake City area. The site, at 8475 South Sandy Parkway and the home of a former Discover Card office, has 1,300 seats that will be occupied by 1,600 employees. The location is convenient to I-15; there is a weekday and Saturday shuttle bus from it to the TRAX light rail.

 

This contact center and others will handle inbound and outbound calling activities to support the 2010 Census data capture efforts. The contact centers will also conduct outbound calls to follow up with millions of households to ensure that no one was missed or counted more than once. The center will provide services in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and TTY/TDY.

 

Agent candidates must type 20-words-per-minute; minimum accuracy standards apply, and experience is preferred. All applicants must pass a suitability background check, have a high school diploma or equivalent and be legally able to work in the U.S. Recruiting for the Sandy facility has already begun and should be at full capacity by April 2010.

 

There is both the need and the competition for the work. The Salt Lake City region’s jobless rate, while better than in many parts of the country has nonetheless climbed significantly, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to 6.1 percent in November 2009 compared with 3.5 percent a year earlier.

 

The U.S. Census is aiming to make the information it collects about Americans as detailed and representative as possible. Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states and used to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. To ensure that more of them fill out the questionnaires completely the 2010 Census questionnaire will be, says the Census Bureau, one of the shortest in history and consists of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete.

 

 “We express our many thanks to all those who have helped make this partnership with the Census Bureau a reality,” said Darrell Graddy, vice president of Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services-Civil. “These include the many government agencies represented here today, the good people of the Salt Lake City area, the colleges and universities and our employees who every day prove they can deliver on our promises better and more successfully. We are proud to continue supporting the Census Bureau as it strives to paint the newest portrait of America.”

 

 

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