Big four accountancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) said it plans to expand its cyber security and data analytics services capacity over the next five years by hiring 1,000 new employees in Northern Ireland to meet demand.
The expansion was announced at the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in Belfast this week, where more than 100 investors and businesses are believed to be in attendance.
EY’s hiring drive is being backed by Invest NI and the Department for the Economy, the BBC reported.
The firm’s workforce in Northern Ireland will nearly double as a result to 1,900.
Alongside the Department for the Economy, EY will deliver an Assured Skills Academy Programme to upskill talent in the areas of cyber security and data analytics to fill up to approximately 350 jobs.
The initiative will seek to develop the skills of graduates and people returning to work or switching careers.
EY is expected to be one of many firms seeking to put boots on the ground in Northern Ireland as the region will remain in the EU single market for goods while also having access to the UK after Brexit.