INDIANA NEWS

N.E.W. Customer Service Co., which provides customer support in the consumer electronic, computer and wireless industries, is expanding its work-for-home program into west-central Indiana in a move that will add up to 480 new jobs.

The Virginia-based company said the new employees, which would be hired over the next three years, will work from home and provide customer service and technical troubleshooting to DIRECTV customers.

DIRECTV is the nation's leading satellite TV service with more than 17 million customers.

Workers would train for six weeks at Ivy Tech Community College-Wabash Valley Region.

Founded in 1983, privately held N.E.W. operates eight U.S.-based call centers and employs more than 650 home-based customer care associates across the country.

In June, it inked a deal with Indianapolis-based H.H. Gregg to launch a product replacement and service protection plan for major appliances, consumer electronics and notebooks computers.

N.E.W. provides extended service plans, buyer protection services and product support, serving more than 150 million consumers worldwide.

"We did a lot of research and looked at more than 200 communities nationwide," said Mitch Carroll, N.E.W.'s vice president for resource planning.

N.E.W. work-at-home employees can live anywhere, but Carroll anticipates most would reside in Terre Haute or surrounding counties because the training is provided at Ivy Tech in Terre Haute.

While anyone can apply, college students, stay-at-home moms or dads and retirees would be well-suited for the jobs, he said. Schedules are flexible, and employees can work split shifts.

The new jobs, which have a base pay is $9.50 per hour, do not come with health insurance benefits, but full-time employees are offered six paid days off.

David Decker, president of the Vigo County Commissioners, said the company's announcement "shows that our community is doing things right."

Employees in the N.E.W. work-at-home program must have a personal computer, a high speed Internet connection, a land line telephone and a corded headset.

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Information from: Tribune-Star, http://www.tribstar.com