Georgia Jobs program helps debt collection call center

The CEO of a Georgia debt collection call center was recently featured on a nationally syndicated business program, given its success in creating jobs in the state. Appearing on Fox Business network's "Bull & Bears," Fred Landrum, head of Prosperity America, said that his company had benefited from the Georgia Department of Labor's "Georgia Works" program, which allows companies to train new employees for six weeks while the government gives them a stipend. Landrum said the new program was beneficial to both his company and the formerly unemployed workers, both of whom were assisted by the government funds. "[The program is] designed to allow us to take time to train folks that we might have not looked at otherwise because they didn't have the requisite experience," he told the news channel. Debt collection groups have been making headlines recently for other reasons. The Government Revenue Collection Association 2011 Annual Conference recently took place at the Hilton in St. Louis, Missouri, where those in the industry discussed recruitment techniques for hiring new staff.