IBM opens $10.8m Ballarat centre

in brief IBM has today officially launched its new IT services centre in Ballarat, at the University of Ballarat Technology Park.

The centre is expected to create 300 jobs, adding to an existing centre for the company which employs 800 people. The combined workers will make a new hub for IBM's global technology services business. It is also intended to help students from the university who will be able to participate in the "earn as you learn program", which provides work experience as part of the universities' studies.

Fifty people were expected to move into the new facilities on Monday from IBM's existing centre. Hiring to fill the rest of the space would start that day. IBM expected to bring the new centre up to full capacity within one to two years, according to a spokesperson.

The Victorian Government provided $5 million in funding for the project. "The new IBM headquarters will ensure Ballarat is well-equipped to continue building on its strengths, offering investors the right mix of skills, infrastructure and local innovation," Victorian Premier John Brumby said in a statement.