TECH FIRM NEEDS 500 WORKERS
JOBS BOOST: Recruiters seeking 500 staff for LiveTiles’ Asia-Pacific HQ
TECH giant LiveTiles will establish a headquarters in Geelong, creating 500 new jobs in the region.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced yesterday the Melbourneborn company would establish its global innovation centre and AsiaPacific headquarters in Geelong.
“This major coup will see 500 more jobs heading for Geelong,” Mr Andrews said.
“These 500 jobs are all new jobs, they are not being relocated from somewhere else.
“It’s one of the biggest investments, and one of the biggest expansions of our tech sector — not just in regional Victoria but arguably across regional Australia as well.”
Growth in Geelong’s tech sector would allow its economy to continue to thrive following the exit of traditional manufacturing jobs, Mr Andrews said.
“Geelong is still about making things, but some of those things change,” he said. “If we can take this next step around tech, then that’s all the better for young people in the Geelong economy.
“This can be a leading community and a leading economy, not just locally, but it can draw people from across Victoria, benefiting all of us and, indeed, much more broadly than that.
“It’s this sort of rapid growth in the tech sector that helps Geelong really get noticed, both at a national and at an international level.”
State Trade and Investment Minister Philip Dalidakis said LiveTiles’ announcement would further stamp Geelong’s reputation as a tech destination.
“The change and the transition here in Geelong has seen Geelong now take with it probably not just the reputation as one of the hottest tech destinations in Australia, but certainly rivalling what we’re doing in Melbourne as well,” Mr Dalidakis said.
The software company — which counts Microsoft as a major partner — has offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Zurich, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart.
LiveTiles chief executive Karl Redenbach said most of the jobs created at the Geelong headquarters would largely be taken by locals.
“We’re already in recruitment mode, which is great,” Mr Redenbach said. “We expect to kick off early in the new year, and we’re recruiting many different types of roles, so not just IT developers.”
LiveTiles is expected to partner with local universities, TAFEs and secondary schools to create opportunities for tech graduates and drive research projects.
The company will benefit from State Government payroll tax cuts that reduce payroll tax for businesses based mainly in regional Victoria by 25 per cent.
“These 500 jobs are all new jobs, they are not being relocated from somewhere else.” PREMIER DANIEL ANDREWS