300 new jobs bound for Belfast

The Regus Group, a multi-national organisation and leading global operator of business centres, is to open the first multi-lingual shared services development in Northern Ireland.

The Group is to invest £4.4 million and create 295 new jobs in the first inward investment project of its kind in Northern Ireland.

The jobs will be built up over the next four years, offering high quality posts ranging from multi-lingual administrative positions to high-level financial posts.

Announcing the investment, Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment, said the Shared Services Centre, which will initially be based in the company’s Clarendon Dock premises in Belfast, will provide administrative, accounting and operational support for the Regus network.

He added: “This is a strategically important project which will significantly enhance the development of the shared services sector in Northern Ireland and is consistent with my Department’s ongoing strategy of targeting high quality projects in the contact services sector.

"It will provide hard evidence to other potential investors of the benefits of locating this type of investment in Northern Ireland. Those benefits include the availability of multi-lingual and professional financial and administrative staff, an attractive support structure and a world-class telecommunications infrastructure.

“This type of knowledge based inward investment strengthens Northern Ireland’s business infrastructure and affords the opportunity for wealth creation through new skills which enhance the capability of our workforce. I know that Regus intends this to be a world-class operation and is planning a significant ongoing training programme in readily transferable skills for its local employees."

Regus currently has a network of more than 410 business centres in 50 countries, including one in Northern Ireland, which employs over 2,500 people. These centres provide serviced office accommodation, meeting rooms and related support services, such as videoconferencing, telecommunications, Internet connectivity, reception and secretarial services.

The Shared Services Centre will be operated by a new company, Regus Business Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Regus plc. It will initially be located at the company’s existing business centre premises at Clarendon Dock, Belfast.

(MB)