400 Jobs At IT Firm

400 jobs are to be created by IT solutions company Capita at its site in Newtownabbey, as part of a £29.9m investment over three years.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry welcomed news of the new jobs, which are expected to be in place by the end of 2016. It is thought the positions will inject £13.75m a year in salaries into the economy.

Capita Managed IT Solutions was formed in 2013 when Capita plc acquired Northgate Managed Services Ltd. The company provides cloud, infrastructure and ICT managed services for public, private and third sector organisations.

Invest NI has offered £4m support for the new jobs, and the Department for Employment and Learning has offered £1.2m of training support under its Assured Skills programme.

Minister Foster said: "The average salary of jobs associated with this expansion is well in excess of the Northern Ireland private sector median wage and they offer a variety of employment opportunities for a range of job seekers including school leavers, returners to work and graduates. Moreover, the extensive training programme for the new staff will contribute to the development of Northern Ireland’s skills base."

Minister Farry added: "My Department’s Assured Skills programme will provide a package of support including tailored training and development programmes to ensure Capita has the skilled workforce they require. Training for this significant jobs announcement will be focused on management skills and sector recognised IT qualifications including Oracle and Cisco aimed at a range of job seekers including new entrants to the labour market."

(IT)