Canadian Grant Funds New IBM Analytics Centre

The government of Nova Scotia has awarded IBM a $12.2m grant towards the opening of a global analytics centre in Halifax. The IT giant plans to create 500 new jobs there over the next eight years.

As part of the agreement, the company has partnered with a consortium of six higher education institutions to provide training and employment to students through the new IBM Global Delivery Centre.

In a statement, IBM said that students studying analytics, computer science, supply chain and engineering will all be candidates for employment at the centre. The firm already has a network of centres in three dozen countries, offering business and big data analytics services.

John Lutz (pictured), President of IBM Canada, comments: 'These investments weave together our business insights, industry-leading software portfolio, world-class technology research and operations expertise with app development and analytics to extend our long-term collaboration with Nova Scotia and its higher educational institutions. The projects showcase Nova Scotia's continued commitment to create highly skilled job opportunities for citizens as we team to stimulate growth and prepare for the future.'

Web site: www.ibm.com .