THE Student Loans Company is bringing more than 100 jobs to the region with the opening of a contact centre and loan processing office.

The company, which is part of the Department for Education and Skills, has opened new offices at Mowden Hall, Darlington.

There the Glasgow-based Student Loans Company will have a contact centre, process loan applications from foreign students and carry out two pilot projects, which, if successful, could see more jobs created there.

The SLC is recruiting and training, and will start taking calls and processing applications from April 3.

About 40 people have been transferred from the Department for Education and Skills, and also seconded from local authorities to help launch the operation.

The SLC is recruiting another 60 people for extra posts.

A spokesman said: "We are in the process of setting up offices at Mowden Hall in Darlington, where the Department for Education and Skills has had a presence for several years, to undertake work in three distinct areas.

"Several key managerial appointments have already been made but there are a number of posts to fill.

"We have already created a considerable number of new jobs and recruited fifty-eight people to fill new posts and, depending on the outcome of the pilot projects, will be looking for more people later in the year."

Ralph Seymour-Jackson, chief executive of the SLC, said: "We are delighted to be making an investment of such significance in Darlington, and this new development comes after many months of discussion, consultation and deliberation over the exact nature of our presence in the town.

"It is an extremely important part of our future and we look forward to being able to further develop the strategically-important base we now have there.

"We will play our part enthusiastically in forging links with the Darlington community and hope to earn our place as part of that community."

The Student Loans Company is the only organisation in the UK charged with organising payment, account administration and collection of government-funded student financial support.

The SLC's EU loans division will see 40 people processing applications from EU countries for tuition fee loans.

Its contact centre operation will deal with detailed enquiries on student support, working in addition to the SLC's main call centre in Glasgow.

The DfES already employs about 600 staff at Mowden Hall, playing a crucial role in child protection procedures, as well as providing the main information technology support for the department.