• Boost local employment with new roles will be in place for Christmas
• Launch employability programme to support the Leicester community
• Leicester Jobs Centre to support applications with free employability skills training

Leicester, 11 September 2024 - Severn Trent has announced plans to open a new customer contact and dedicated training centre that will create 40 new jobs in Leicester, with more to come.

The Midlands-based company is now on the search for new customer advisors to create a brand-new team based in the city.

In addition to the new jobs, Severn Trent is rolling out a community and school outreach programme to support more people through delivering free employability skills and training in communities.

The new jobs, and employability programme from the company comes at a time where according to ONS, Leicester currently has the highest rates of unemployment in the East Midlands*.  Over the last year the company has hired 800 people from the East Midlands.

The new contact centre, which will be located at Severn Trent’s Leicester Water Centre, is part of the company’s broader investment plan. The announcement builds on Severn Trent’s plans to invest nearly £13bn over the next five years, that’s due to generate up to 7,000 new jobs directly and across its supply chain, significantly boosting the regional economy.

Steph Cawley, Customer Operations Director at Severn Trent said: “Leicester is a vibrant city with incredible diversity and talent, making it the perfect location for our new contact centre. But this isn’t just about creating jobs—it’s about working together to support our communities. We’re also excited to share our investment plans and welcome support from businesses and groups willing to help us achieve our goals to help those who need it across the wider region.

“We want a brand-new team of people who will bring their unique differences and life experiences to help deliver the best service to our customers – so we want to encourage anyone, even if no direct customer experience, to see if there’s an opportunity for you.”

Empowering the Local Community

Severn Trent’s new Leicester contact centre is part of the company’s ambitious plan to help 100,000 people who are in or at risk of water poverty, with Leicester now joining the likes of Birmingham, Coventry, and Derby in benefiting from this initiative.

To ensure that these job opportunities are accessible to a wide range of candidates, Severn Trent is partnering with the Leicester Job Centre and Employment Hub to offer free employability training this month. This training will be available to job seekers across the city who are interested in the new contact centre roles, helping people to develop the skills and confidence needed to secure employment.

Severn Trent’s commitment to supporting local communities extends beyond job creation. The company’s outreach programme will engage with local schools to inspire young people about their future career paths. Additionally, Severn Trent will host community sessions to provide free training on job readiness, including CV writing and interview skills, helping more people in Leicester get back into work.

“As well as these new jobs, we will be working with local schools to engage young people about their futures. We’ll also host local community sessions to give free training to people to feel more job ready to apply for jobs and help with their CV, as part of our wider plans on getting people into work that we’re excited to bring to Leicester” Steph added.

Plans include partnering with local schools, delivering free employability training in the heart of local communities to help boost skills and confidence and we’ll have our first Big Boost for Leicester job and employability event early 2025.

Cllr. Mustafa Malik, Assistant City Mayor - Communities, Adult Learning, Jobs and Skills for Leicester City Council said: “We are very pleased to work with employers that want to recruit from Leicester, and particularly those that want to go the extra mile to recruit people from diverse backgrounds. We are looking forward to working with Severn Trent as they recruit their Leicester team.”

Commitment to Employees

Severn Trent currently employs over 9,000 people, with many roles based in Leicester and across the East Midlands. The company is also known for its supportive work environment, offering a range of benefits, including a new maternity policy that provides a full year of paid leave.

The new full-time positions at the Leicester contact centre will offer 37 hours of work per week, Monday to Friday.

Severn Trent is working with Leicester Jobs Centre to run employability training this month.

First launching in Birmingham, then Coventry and Derby, it’s now Leicester’s turn to benefit from Severn Trent’s plans to help 100,000 people out of water poverty through skills and training.

* Leicester's employment, unemployment and economic inactivity - ONS

For more information on the available positions and to apply, please visit Customer Advisor Job Details | SEVERN TRENT

*Source: ONS data on unemployment rates in the East Midlands.