Pharma and hotel sectors to create up to 400 jobs

ALMOST 400 jobs are to be created in Cork and Carlow in the hotel and pharmaceutical sectors.

Marriott International yesterday confirmed the creation of 220 call centre jobs in Cork.

The chain will appoint the staff over the next five years to work in a new 10,400sq ft call centre in Blackpool on the outskirts of the city.

The staff will handle reservations and customer inquiry calls from Ireland, Britain and continental Europe for the 3,100 hotels in the company’s portfolio.

The centre is expected to receive up to 1.5 million calls by the end of 2009.

Marriott already has a facility in Cork at the Airport Business Park. At that facility, Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) currently employs 160 people and plans to increase that figure to 250 over five years.

“We are delighted that Marriott chose Ireland and Cork for its second operation. It shows a level of confidence that the company has in our ability to provide the highly skilled personnel necessary to support a rapidly growing international business.

“Marriott’s positive experiences at its existing Vacation Club International facility in Cork and the standard of its Irish management and workforce were instrumental factors in securing this investment for Cork against strong competition from other global locations. It is also a substantial endorsement of Ireland’s reputation in the business of global customer services and support activities,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen opened the construction of a vaccine facility for Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) in Carlow.

The company said it will employ 170 staff at the plant. That brings to 700, the number of staff MSD employs in Dublin, Tipperary and Carlow.

Mr Cowen said: “At a time of economic slowdown, the benefits of this €200m investment will be felt right across the south-east region.

“There will be an initial creation of 300 jobs in the construction phase and 170 new high quality jobs will be in place by 2011. The recruitment for these jobs will be advanced next year and I understand that a wide range of skills will be needed here in Carlow.

“These are to include experts in science, engineering, pharmacy, microbiology, technology, IT, and management,” he said.