KPMG is to create 200 jobs at a new digital Centre of Excellence at its Belfast headquarters.
The professional services firm said the move is in reaction to growing demand from its clients for cyber security, applied intelligence and digital transformation services.
It will more than double total headcount at the firm鈥檚 Lanyon Place headquarters and add another speciality to the office鈥檚 offering alongside audit, tax and deal advisory.
Of the 200 new roles, 160 will take part in the Department for the Economy鈥檚 pre-employment Assured Skills training programme, which will offer the company a pipeline of skilled graduates over the next three years. It will run eight Assured Skills Academies with Belfast Met over the next three years, and the first one is open for applications now.
Once all the roles are filled, they will contribute 拢7 million annually in additional salaries to the Northern Ireland economy.
鈥淭he creation of the new Centre of Excellence is the next step in the evolution of KPMG in Northern Ireland,鈥 Johnny Hanna, Partner in Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, said. 鈥淲e 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.鈥
鈥淭he 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.鈥
Invest NI has offered 拢1million 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 拢1.3million over three years.
Economy Minister Diane Dodds announced the investment by KPMG.
鈥淭his investment also reinforces KPMG鈥檚 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.鈥
