KETTERING — Victoria's Secret Direct said it plans to hire about 435 employees at its Kettering customer care center, at starting wages of $10.50 to $11 an hour.

Hiring is already under way, Wanda Howard, human resources manager at the Kettering facility at 5959 Bigger Road, said Monday, Sept. 29.

The company also expects to hire about 360 workers for its Rio Rancho, N.M., customer care center, according to Victoria's Secret. Of those totals, 255 would be seasonal employees in Kettering and 120 in Rio Rancho, to work in jobs lasting from now through year's end, Howard said.

The new Kettering hires will be in addition to the 1,000 employees already there, she said.

Victoria's Secret sales have continued despite the economic slump, Howard said.

"We are women's lingerie," she said. "Women still want to feel beautiful."

The Victoria's Secret plan to add jobs illustrates the growth of call centers as employers in the Dayton region's economy, said Deb Norris, Sinclair Community College's vice president of Work Force Development and Corporate Services. GE Money, part of General Electric Co., and Infocision also operate major call centers in the area.

This spring, Sinclair shortened an existing screening and training program for call-center employees to a two-week course, to respond to the demand from employers.

"There's a great deal of interest in this call-center program, because there are jobs," Norris said.

Victoria's Secret call centers receive more than 10,000 calls from customers daily, according to the company. Its sales last year totaled $1.4 billion.

The lingerie and beauty products retailer is part of Limited Brands Inc., based in Columbus. Limited Brands also includes the Pink, Bath & Body Works, C.O. Bigelow, La Senza, White Barn Candle Co. and Henri Bendel stores.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or

jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

On the phone

The Victoria's Secret Direct customer care centers in Kettering and in Rio Rancho, N.M., handle customer orders and customer service calls from around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jobs: Available positions include sales employees, also known as fashion consultants, and customer service personnel.

How to apply: Apply at www.limitedbrands.com, by visiting the "career opportunities" section of the Web site. Applicants can search by Victoria's Secret, Call Center and either Ohio or New Mexico, then select "begin search."