Minister discusses skills needs with major India investor

On the final day of his three day visit to India, Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, held meetings with HCL Technologies, a major investor in Northern Ireland.

HCL BPO Services has been based in Northern Ireland since 2001 and has invested £16 m in three Invest NI backed expansions over the past seven years – the most recent led to the development of a second BPO/contact centre in Armagh. There are two centres in Northern Ireland, employing 2,000 staff, which are complemented by a network of nine service delivery centres in India.

The Minister said: “I want to fully understand the future skills needs of an important organisation such as HCL. It is my responsibility to ensure that the local workforce back home is capable of meeting these requirements.

“It is very valuable to hear, at first hand, what drew this company to Northern Ireland and how we can continue to make it an attractive place to invest. We must continue to build on our strategic alliances to improve competitiveness and enhance our skills base to the benefit of our economies and societies.”

Notes to editors:

1. Further information on HCL Technologies can be found at www.hcltech.com
2. Media queries contact the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872. Out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.