IBM announced December 14 plans to create 350 new jobs over the next five years at its Client Innovation Centre (CIC) in Nova Scotia.
The company is looking to hire for roles in artificial intelligence and hybrid cloud for the local CIC, which IBM calls “an entrepreneurial startup within IBM Consulting” that specializes in application management solutions and digital transformation consulting services.
The Nova Scotia CIC was opened in March 2013 and works with a global set of customers. CICs are part of a global IBM network that offers consulting and business services. In Canada, IBM also operates a CIC in downtown Montréal that was created in 2017.
“Nova Scotia has a special place for us at IBM. The province has a globally recognised culture of innovation, and we are proud to be contributing to local economic growth by creating high value jobs,” said Dave McCann, managing partner of IBM Consulting Canada. “By significantly expanding our team, we will create more opportunities for Nova Scotians, and build capacity for IBM to help our clients as they seize a wide array of opportunities created by evolving digital technologies.”
With its local CIC in operation since 2013, IBM has been active in the Nova Scotia tech community. It established the first Pathways in Technology, Early College High School (P-TECH) model with three schools in Halifax, and the recently a Mi’kmaw P-TECH school in Cape Breton. The program offers a high school and college curriculum focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
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In 2018, IBM also collaborated with Dalhousie University, the Ocean Frontier Institute, the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), as well as federal and provincial governments, on DeepSense, a big ocean data innovation environment.
To add 350 jobs to the region, IBM secured a payroll rebate from Nova Scotia Business Inc (NSBI). Over the five-year period, IBM could earn a rebate of up to $9.3 million by creating the jobs and spending up to $102,570,000 in salaries and benefits. NSBI estimates that the new employees would contribute provincial tax revenues of around $13.2 million through their income and consumption taxes.
“As the province’s lead business development agency, this announcement is reflective of our work to help companies such as IBM choose Nova Scotia when making investment growth decisions,” said Laurel Broten, president and CEO of NSBI. “ICT is a key sector that is fundamental to our growing economy and increasing population here in Nova Scotia. NSBI continues to act as a partner to help attract and expand the investment of high-value companies such as IBM. The work we do enables and harnesses the ability of the private sector to grow Nova Scotia’s economy.”
This is not IBM’s first major hiring announcement in Canada this year. In June, the global tech giant to make 500 new hires in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). At the time, IBM said it had hired over 1,200 new employees in Canada since January, including 250 students for internship programs.