Belfast Telegraph, By Nigel Tilson, Business Editor, Wednesday 30 May 2001
A Republic-based IT training and consulting company is to create 22 new jobs by setting up a Northern Ireland operation, it emerged today. SureSkills revealed it is moving into Belfast as part of a major expansion plan. The company, which currently employs 80 at its Dublin HQ, aims to build on its portfolio of several high profile clients in Northern Ireland in both the public and private sectors.
Pauline Thompson, general manager of the firm's new office in Belfast's Upper Arthur Street, said expanding in Northern Ireland was a logical progression for SureSkills. "We already have strong local market knowledge and have identified niche opportunities for the provision of specialist technology training and consulting services to new clients in addition to existing business," she said.
"We are confident that our new Northern Ireland operation and the expanded range of services which we can now provide will receive a very positive response." The company's Ulster arm will be organised into two main divisions: training and development, focusing on high-end technology training, and consultancy, which will offer companies an IT implementation outsourcing partner across various capabilities.
Alan Stock, the company's technical director, explained: "Last year SureSkills doubled employment from 35 to 70 people and increased revenues by close to 300%. "This was organic growth, based on increasing demand for high quality training, project management expertise and new IT skills throughout Ireland, north and south."
SureSkills, which was established in 1993, is a certified business partner with global computer giants Dell and Microsoft.