EY ‘proud' to open business in Derry and become ‘part of north west community'
First Minister Michelle O'Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Minister for the Economy Caoimhe Archibald attended the opening of the new office.
EY joins Alchemy in the offices at Ebrington Plaza in what is viewed as a further boost for the Waterside site and wider city.
The firm hopes the new office will play an 'important role' in expanding its presence in Northern Ireland and will help address growing client demands in the area as they 'leverage the exceptional talent available across the north west.'
EY Northern Ireland Managing Partner Rob Heron said the firm employs more than 1,000 people in Belfast.
In September 2023, the company announced that it would create 1,000 new jobs in NI and has since recruited 300 new employees towards that target.
He said the plan was to open an office in the north west by June 2026 but having 'witnessed the quality of the talent here, we've actually accelerated that and we're opening up twelve months ahead of schedule.'
Mr Heron explained that the office can accommodate up to 120 people, but 'the really exciting thing is that because of the world-class facilities at Ebrington Plaza is there is room to grow — so there is really no limit on the amount of people that we want to employ up here'.
The EY Managing Partner spoke of the importance of having a skills pipeline from Ulster University's Magee campus a matter of miles away and to be 'aligned' with courses there.
'Ulster University set up a group of people to explore how the city can create an infrastructure to build a university here that can accommodate 10,000 students in areas like finance, data analytics, robotics and they're all exactly the areas from which we want to recruit and employ people,' he added.
'We're really well aligned with the growth plans for the city and region.'
But he also made clear that EY is a 'training organisation with very clear career progression and development pathways' and work with the Economy Department around Assured Skills Academies — these provide the necessary support to deliver a skilled workforce through the delivery of short pre-employment training courses.
Ebrington was also attractive for EY, he said, due to it being an historic location and one currently at the centre of the city's regeneration.
'We had a soft launch and the initial feedback from our staff has been incredibly positive; this is a place that they want to be.'
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last week, the Walled City Brewery and Ebrington Hotel owners mentioned the benefits of companies filling the office space and how those businesses can all compliment one another and work collaboratively.
Mr Heron said: 'We absolutely want to come here to attract talent and work with the brilliant local businesses, we've already worked with some of them and we believe we'll work with more over time.
'We want to be part of the community as well, not just around the Ebrington site but also right across the north west.
'We were really proud to recently sponsor the Derry Jazz Festival which was hugely successful and we're also headline sponsors for the Waterside Half Marathon in September and as a marathon runner I'll be taking part in that.
'And at the launch we're working with a number of businesses and social enterprises. So we're very proud to be, not just as a business, but to be part of the community.'
He concluded by commenting on job opportunities at EY in Derry saying whether you're a school leaver, a graduate or somebody who has been out of work for a period of time, then the company has 'opportunities for all' and are keen to welcome people with 'broad skill sets and a really curious mindset'.
At the launch, Minister for the Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, said: 'Today is a key milestone in that investment, which will provide employment opportunities in the north west in highly skilled areas such as digital engineering, data analytics and risk and regulatory compliance.
"I am delighted that companies like EY can see the north west's potential as a vibrant place to live, grow, and invest and I wish them every success.'
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