Datacom ramps up South Australian presence with new hub

Trans-Tasman IT services provider Datacom is expanding its presence in South Australia, with the company set to open a new customer service hub in the state, a move slated to come with at least 650 new jobs. 

Datacom plans to open its second South Australian customer service hub in Noarlunga, in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, complementing the existing site the company maintains at Modbury, to the north of the South Australian capital. 

The new site will provide essential services for Datacom's government clients as well as some customer support services for the company's private sector clients.

The company's pre-existing office in Modbury employs around 1,200 people across a range of IT and customer support services, according to the company, with a large percentage of people hired having been previously unemployed and undergoing training and development.

The new site, with its anticipated contingent of 650-plus jobs, is expected to similarly involve the recruitment and training of those in need of work.

"At Modbury, we offer opportunities to not only those who were previously unemployed but also for others looking to enter into a new career in an industry that is growing and evolving rapidly," Datacom managing director Stacey Tomasoni said.

"With the new centre at Noarlunga we will continue to work alongside our clients and partners to ensure we can offer employment opportunities for those who need them while maintaining our high standards of support for our customers," she added.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall suggested the new site will stand as 'a major win' for jobs in the state.

"Investments like this will be critical to kick start our economy following the impact of COVID-19," Marshall said in a statement.

The move comes several weeks after the New Zealand-headquartered company pledged to hire more than 2,000 Australian residents who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, with new roles at a number purpose-built contact centres designed to manage federal government agencies' response to the COVID-19 spread.

Those roles were slated to be based in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane, and saw Datacom partner with call centre provider Concentrix and Hatch Exchange, an organisation formed to help workers who have been stood down.

The roles spanned customer service, team leaders, quality control, training, operations management, workforce planning and analysts, alongside human resources and payroll.