Over 200 new jobs bound for Belfast

Almost 200 jobs are to be created in Belfast as a part of a £10 million expansion by a Human Resources agency.

Reed Managed Services currently employs 62 people in the city, which will rise to around 220 after the expansion.

This will provide human resources, shared services and technical support to the UK and Ireland from Belfast. An intense training programme supported by Invest NI, who have given around £1.9 million in grant aid and training support to the development, will offer employees the opportunity to acquire recognised human resources qualifications.

Leslie Morrison, Chief Executive for Invest NI, today welcomed the creation of the jobs and added that it would contribute around £5 million per annum in salaries to the local economy.

Mr Morrison said: "This was a mobile investment which could have gone to the Republic of Ireland.

"They chose to expand their Belfast operation because of the strength of the labour market here, the availability of relevant skills and the support being offered by INI."

Commenting on the announcement, Reed Group Financial Director, Derek Beal, said: "Our focus on excellent customer care and our ability to generate innovative solutions to meet our customers requirements has resulted in significant growth in recent years.

Mr Beal concluded by saying that the company's vision is to grow into a market-leading HR Consultancy & Outsourced Services business, and this expansion will help to increase market share and expand client portfolio.

(EF/GB)