May 2, 2012 -- BT is to open a new contact centre in Belfast, creating about 120 jobs.

The investment is being backed by a  grant from Invest NI's jobs fund and funding from the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL).

The centre will be located at the BT Riverside Tower. Staff will provide support to meet short-term need for extra resources within the company.

Enterprise minister Arlene Foster said the new jobs would "contribute £2.9m a year in salaries to the economy".

"BT considered other locations for this project and it is due to the positive experience that the company has had in terms of the calibre of staff, and the support offered by Invest NI and DEL, that it decided to further invest here," she said.

Employment minister Dr Stephen Farry said his department's Assured Skills programme had played a "vital role" in securing the investment.

"The flexibility of the programme allows us to support indigenous companies such as BT who want to expand their skills base and grow their business," he said.

BT currently employs more than 2,500 staff in Northern Ireland.

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk