Cognizant sets up new technology and service delivery centre in Texas, to facilitate creation of 1,100 jobs

New Delhi: IT  firm Cognizant on Thursday said it has set up a new regional technology and service delivery centre in Texas, the US that will facilitate the creation of 1,100 new jobs by 2023. The opening follows a November 2017 announcement by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the company’s plan to invest more than $8 million to expand in Irving, Texas, Cognizant said in a statement. The company has been significantly ramping up headcount in the US in a bid to woo the Trump administration that has been critical of outsourcing firms for unfairly taking jobs away from American workers. The US-based firm has over 2.61 lakh employees, with a large number of them based in India. It had hired 4,000 US citizens and residents in 2016. [caption id=“attachment_849009” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Cognizant employs about 4,100 people in Texas, which is the US headquarters of the company. “The new positions are full-time jobs for high-skilled technology and business professionals. Staff in the new 50,000 sq ft Irving facility will provide a variety of services for Cognizant’s Dallas-area clients in various industries, including insurance, healthcare and retail,” the statement said. The new centre also houses a 10,000 sq ft training facility, where the company will offer pre-employment training programmes that focus on in-demand skills for digital economy jobs. “Cognizant expects to train more than 1,000 people at the facility over the next 36 months, leading to potential employment opportunities for participants with Cognizant and other local businesses,” it said. Cognizant is also exploring additional training initiatives, working with the Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, and the Dallas County Community College District, the statement added. “Texas is home to our US operations headquarters…As one of the largest technology recruiters and employers in the US, Cognizant cares deeply about our country’s workers and their sustained ability to keep pace globally as technology races ahead,” Karen McLoughlin, Chief Financial Officer at Cognizant, said. The new centre is designed for both client service, and for skills training, and the company will help grow overall employment opportunities for Texas residents, and meet its continued need for skilled talent, she added.