Govt welcomes IBM-Unitec partnership

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today welcomed the announcement that IBM is teaming up with tertiary education provider Unitec Institute of Technology to establish a delivery centre in New Zealand.

Based at Unitec’s campus in Mount Albert, Auckland, the delivery centre – scheduled to open in February next year– is expected to provide jobs for up to 400 people within the next two years.

“The announcement is excellent news for Unitec students as it provides them with valuable experience working in the IT industry as well as a clear pathway to employment once they graduate,” Mr Joyce says.

“The Government has been encouraging our tertiary institutions to work more closely with businesses and the commercial sector to develop opportunities for students and the organisations involved. It is about matching the skills being developed in our training institutions with industry demand. This partnership between Unitec and IBM is a good example of that and will help create high-skill, high-wage jobs.”

The delivery centre will provide IBM’s clients with innovative business process and IT services. The partnership will be based on IBM’s successful Ballarat Delivery Centre in Australia.