Quality of workers brings new jobs to Dublin

Nov 19 2009 By The Journal

A NORTH American specialist software firm yesterday announced plans to open an office in recession-hit Ireland - and said the high quality of recently laid-off workers from other companies was a big reason why.

Bentley Systems, based in Exton, Pennsylvania, is expected to create 150 new jobs in its new home in central Dublin.

The Irish government said the announcement was a rare shot of good news in a country still reeling from its worst recession since the Great Depression. Speaking at a Dublin news conference, Bentley chief executive Greg Bentley said his company had picked Ireland because of its unusually low corporate tax rate of 12.5% and high calibre of jobseekers with experience in the software industry.

Mr Bentley also said his company was attracted by the economics in Ireland, and especially the quality of people now available.

"I’m very pleased by those we’ve attracted already," he said.

Bentley develops software for engineers, architects, government planners and others involved in constructing infrastructure – such as roads, hospitals and public buildings – all over the world.

It already employs more than 2,800 people on six continents, including in 17 other European countries.

To secure the deal, the government said it has given Bentley a confidential aid and subsidy package for starting up the office and training new hires.

Ireland’s unemployment rate has doubled over the past year to 12.5%, as many high-tech businesses cut back in favour of lower-wage locations in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Bentley said it was already recruiting multilingual finance and administrative personnel, sales and marketing professionals, technical support engineers and software engineers.

This week has also seen the news that international banking software firm Odyssey Financial Technologies – founded in Luxembourg – will open an office in Glasgow, initially creating 20 jobs north of the Border.