At a time when many companies are laying off workers or, at best, keeping staffing levels flat, student loan company Nelnet has plans to grow its Lincoln workforce considerably.
Nelnet currently has more than 75 current and future job openings listed on the "careers" section of its Web site, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Nelnet spokesman Ben Kiser said the company plans to hire more than 250 people over the next six months, expanding its local workforce of about 800 by almost one-third.
All the jobs are permanent positions and most are full-time, Kiser said. They include customer service, bill collection, accounting and supervisory positions.
"We're excited about this, to be able to be bringing a lot of good jobs to our community right now," he said.
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Wendy Birdsall is excited, too. Though Lincoln has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, few local companies have been expanding their workforces at any level, let alone what Nelnet is proposing.
"It's a true testament to the leadership over there," Birdsall said.
Most of the jobs are the result of Nelnet's plan to close its offices in Jacksonville, Fla., which was announced in May.
Many of the 250 jobs there are being relocated to Lincoln. Some are going to the Denver area, where Nelnet employs about 550 people.
But Nelnet is also adding jobs in Lincoln because of its contract to service student loans for the federal government, Kiser said.
Nelnet is one of four companies that in June were chosen by the U.S. Department of Education to service federal student loans.
The company reported earlier this month that as of Oct. 31 it was servicing $2.5 billion worth of loans as part of that contract.
The 250 jobs would bring Nelnet's local employment level back to where it was two years ago, before the economic downturn and worldwide credit crisis put the company into cost-cutting and cash-preservation mode.
The company has hinted that it may have to cut more jobs if Congress approves President Barack Obama's plan to end the Federal Family Education Loan Program, in which the government subsidizes student loans made by private lenders.
Kiser said that even if that happens, it will not affect the jobs Nelnet is hiring for now.
"(Those jobs) are not related to the origination of student loans," he said. "If FFELP goes away, job functions related to originations will be lost."
Related Links:
physical therapist lincoln ne
crete lincoln ne
zc sterling lincoln ne
job fairs lincoln ne
perot systems lincoln ne
apartments lincoln ne
hiring lincoln ne
verizon wireless lincoln ne