900 new jobs will be created in Northern Ireland as gem, a Belfast based BPO firm, plans to double its workforce over the next three years. In total £19.5m will be invested in the expansion, £5.5m of which will come from the local development agency, Invest Northern Ireland.

Speaking to sourcingfocus.com, Geraldine Fusciardi, Sales and Marketing Director of gem, commented, "We are extremely busy right now, enhancing a quality workforce is critical to retaining customers."

Ms Fusciardi also added that businesses are looking to use contact centres with similar ‘cultural touchpoints’ they hope will make Northern Ireland an increasingly attractive location for UK outsourcers.

Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster, also welcomed the announcement, commenting,

"With 900 positions ranging from managerial to general BPO operations posts, gem will provide career progression opportunities coupled with the further development of professional, transferable skills.”

The Minister described the investment as a "great boost" for Northern Ireland especially during an economically unstable time.

The National Outsourcing Association, the UK outsourcing trade association, predicted that 2009 could see a reduction in offshoring with rising unemployment encouraging UK organisations to seek out local locations to site new outsourcing business. Poor performing operations may also be brought back on-shore.