IBM is set to open its first New Zealand delivery centre, creating as many as 400 jobs in the process.
In partnership with the Unitec Institute of Technology, the Delivery Centre will open in February 2013, employing full-time and part-time professionals, including Unitec graduate and current students.
Based at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus, IBM anticipates the move will lead to a major recruitment drive within the next two years.
Under the agreement, IBM and Unitec will implement a number of collaborative initiatives including extended industry based ‘Earn As You Learn’ placements.The company says it will also provide students studying for IT, business management and communications degrees with experience working in the IT industry as part of their studies.
IBM's investment in the Unitec collaboration will enable annual scholarship programmes and jointly developed guest lectures, mentoring, internship and graduate hire programmes.
“Working with a highly respected global company will give our students the head start they need to get a great job when they graduate,” says Rick Ede, Unitec Chief Executive.
“Bringing innovative businesses such as IBM into the education environment is about matching the skills of our students with the demands of business and providing students with the experience they need to make a difference in their communities and in New Zealand.”
“This collaboration is also a game-changer by demonstrating that tertiary providers, through creative partnering with business, can be direct contributors to business and productivity growth extending way beyond traditional boundaries.”
Unitec says the centre will provide IBM’s clients with innovative business process and ICT services, in areas including Human Resources, Supply Chain Management and Finance & Administration, Customer Relationship Management; Remote Technical and ICT support, and Consulting.
“This is a great example of close collaboration between industry and the education sector to provide economic benefits and employment for the next generation of New Zealanders,” says Jennifer Moxon, IBM New Zealand managing director.
“The collaboration with Unitec will develop graduates with the right skills to work in tomorrow’s services oriented digital economy as well as create job opportunities for New Zealanders.
“By bringing global investment and leading practices to New Zealand our objective is to establish a strategic delivery centre for our global and local client base.”