A NEW call centre run by a funeral planning and will writing service which will employ 300 people in Newport over the next five years has been officially opened.

As the Argus reported in May, Caepeo Estates Planning moved into a site in Cleppa Park for its new contact centre following financial support from the Welsh Government in July.

The company is planning on employing 300 people at the site, which was officially opened by the Welsh Government's economy secretary Ken Skates this morning, by 2022.

The firm had also been looking at a site in Teeside in the north of England, but picked Newport following an agreement with the Welsh Government for an amount which has not been disclosed due to commercial confidentiality.

Calling Carpeo “a dynamic company with ambitious growth plans, Mr Skates said: “Critical to the success of this project is the availability of people with the right skills.

“Wales has developed a strong reputation for having the best contact centre staff in Britain.

“That, combined with the sympathetic accent that people have in this region, provides a big incentive for driving investment into south east Wales.”

He added: “As a government we have worked closely with Carpeo to support their business plans and to provide strong employment and training opportunities.

“Carpeo’s plan to employ 300 people here in Newport by 2022 will make them a significant local employer.”

Chief executive officer Mike Minahan said: “Having sat on the board of the Welsh Contact Centre Forum for the past 15 years I know that Wales has a range of competitive advantages to offer contact centre businesses.

“The quality of people available and their experience of working in a regulated services market is a huge pull.

“On the softer side, the Welsh accent is sympathetic and consoling, particularly important in our market.

“We’re hugely proud to be bringing these well-paid roles and good employment opportunities to Newport.”

Research by insurance company Sun Life has shown the average funeral costs £3,897, with total costs associated with dying coming to £8,802 per person.