Updated at 10.20am
ACCENTURE IS OPENING a new innovation centre in Dublin, and has announced it intends to hire over 200 people in a range of roles.
€25 million is being invested in the project, and the firm is looking for professionals with R&D and design skills in ”cognitive computing, Internet of Things, advanced analytics, security and digital marketing”.
The centre will be a location to “research, incubate, and pilot innovative industry-specific and cross-industry technologies and solutions” for Accenture’s clients. (And if you’re wondering what the ‘Internet of Things’ is when it’s at home, here’s a handy explainer.)
Accenture has been incorporated in Dublin since 2009. According to boss of Accenture Ireland, Alastair Blair:
“We have a long history in Ireland and a significant presence in the country with more than 1,800 employees today.
“Over the years, we have made significant investments in Ireland including the creation of the Accenture Analytics Innovation Centre in Dublin which will now serve as the cornerstone for our Centre for Innovation.”
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has also welcomed the announcement this morning, describing it as “a welcome endorsement of the Government’s strategy on ICT”.
IBM
It’s the second major tech jobs announcement for Ireland in as many days.
IBM, a company with more than 435,000 employees across the world, announced an expansion of its 3,000-strong workforce here yesterday.
It will be hiring for 150 software engineering roles in Dublin, Cork, and Galway, with recruitment to expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Announcing the expansion, Tánaiste Joan Burton said IBM has “real history, and has taken the knowledge from that experience to constantly evolve”.
That process of evolution has kept IBM at the forefront of the tech sector. And in Ireland’s case, it has meant over half a century of successfully doing business here.
Jobs news
Also on the jobs front, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 9.4% from 9.5% in August.
This represents a decrease of around 800 people, or 28,100 compared to the same time last year, data from the CSO released yesterday showed.
The unemployment rate for men stood at 10.5% for men and 8.1% for women. However, the National Youth Council of Ireland expressed concern over state youth unemployment figures.
Deputy director James Doorley explained: “After a steady decline since 2012, from a high of 31% to 21% at the end of 2014, youth unemployment has remained static for the past 6 months at over 20%.”
This doesn’t reflect the wider economic recovery underway, which is a cause for concern. As young people were hardest hit by the recession, it is vital that they are not left behind as the wider economy recovers.
Doorley said he believes the government needs to “intensify” its efforts to implement the Youth Guarantee scheme.
Additional reporting by Daragh Brophy. Originally posted on Tuesday evening.
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