KPMG, one of the world’s top four accounting firms, is investing £14m in its Belfast operation with the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence, which will create 200 new jobs.
The investment will see the audit, tax, consulting and deal advisory firm deliver a new range of digital consultancy services in major growth areas including Cyber Security, Applied Intelligence (AI) and Digital Transformation for clients in Great Britain and Ireland.
Welcoming the investment, Economy Minister Diane Dodds said: “Today’s announcement of 200 new jobs by KPMG is excellent news for Northern Ireland’s burgeoning professional and financial services sector. KPMG established its first office here in 1974 and has since demonstrated its commitment to Northern Ireland time and time again as its operation here has continued to grow.
“This new investment will see it almost double its workforce in Northern Ireland. Of the new roles, 160 will participate in my Department’s pre-employment Assured Skills training programme, which will offer the company a pipeline of skilled graduates over the next three years.
"We will run eight Assured Skills Academies with Belfast Met over the next three years, and the first one is open for applications now.
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“Once in place, the jobs will contribute over £7m in additional annual salaries to the local economy.
"This investment also reinforces KPMG’s confidence in Northern Ireland as a key business location post-EU Exit. It is important that we continue to showcase Northern Ireland as an attractive location for inward investment, offering guaranteed talent, a business-friendly environment and strong tech expertise.”
Johnny Hanna, Partner in Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, said: “The creation of the new Centre of Excellence is the next step in the evolution of KPMG in Northern Ireland. We have continually grown the firm to meet the ever-changing demands of our clients and the addition of this digital centre adds an exciting offering, which will have global reach.
“The case for building the team here was made easy by the depth of talent on offer in the digital technology space and the assistance of Invest NI. This investment cements our commitment to NI and we look forward to establishing a world-class team.”
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Economic growth agency Invest NI has offered £1m of support for the new jobs to secure the project for Northern Ireland. The Department for the Economy is also funding pre-employment Assured Skills Academy training places in the amount of almost £1.3m over three years.
The first Assured Skills Academy is now open for applications and will focus on Applied Intelligence.
The course will provide successful applicants with industry-relevant training from 19 April to 23 June to position them strongly for a role as a Data Scientist, Data Engineer or a Network Analytics Engineer.
Completing the training guarantees an interview for a role in KPMG’s Belfast Centre of Excellence.
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Paul Toner, Head of Consulting at KPMG Ireland, said: “Providing our global clients with highly skilled consultancy expertise is key to our vision. After reviewing a number of locations, we had no hesitation about expanding our presence in NI.
"The combined support of Invest NI and the Department’s Assured Skills team was very attractive and reassured us that we will be able to develop a knowledgeable and highly skilled team here in Belfast.”
Applications to the first KPMG Assured Skills Academy will close midnight Sunday 14 March. Applicants must hold at least a 2:2 in any degree discipline, or a Level 5 qualification in an ICT subject.
For more information and to apply, visit http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills
Source: Written from press release
