PwC to establish an onshore delivery centre in Adelaide

July will see the opening of a new PwC delivery centre in Adelaide, with 300 jobs to be created over the next 18 months and a focus on on-the-job training for local students in high demand areas.

Set to open in the middle of the year, the centre in South Australia aims to develop homegrown talent in high demand segments such as cybersecurity, cloud and financial audit services, with local university students to be given the opportunity to undertake on-the-job training.

“As part of PwC Australia’s digital transformation strategy, we are making a significant investment in growth to meet the rising demand for skills in cyber, cloud and assurance services, plus increasing our capacity onshore to address data sovereignty and security concerns,” said PwC Australia CEO Tom Seymour, who took over the top role from Luke Sayers in July of last year.

At the time, PwC was in the process of slashing 400 jobs in response to the impacts of Covid-19, a figure which it ultimately managed to limit to just 250, in part thanks to the internal redeployment of staff to in-demand areas. Now, with staffing shortfalls exacerbated by ongoing border closures and a lack of overseas supply, the professional services firm will create 300 new highly-skilled jobs while suring up its local talent pipeline.

“This is an opportunity for undergraduates to progress to graduates within the centre and over time move into the traditional workforce. They can work and learn at the same time and once they complete their course will have acquired in-demand skills which will make them very employable and help advance their careers, whether that’s at PwC Australia or elsewhere,” said PwC’s Adelaide Managing Partner Jamie Briggs.

Briggs cited the South Australian time zone and Adelaide’s close proximity to other Australian cities as reasons for why it's an attractive market for an onshore delivery workforce, along with the city’s “bold yet cool vibe.” Further, he stated that the South Australian Government’s strong focus on cybersecurity as an area of economic growth has made Adelaide the “new destination for innovation.”

The move by PwC follows closely on the heels of Accenture’s announcement late last year that it would establish an aerospace, defence and cyber-focused technology hub in Adelaide, with 2,000 jobs to be created over five years and an expected $1 billion boost to the local economy. PwC has also projected some 8,000 direct new jobs will result from the Federal Government’s naval and defence investments in the state.

“We expect to see significant growth over the first 3-5 years of the centre with a blend of experienced technical and managerial staff as well as a strong pipeline of junior staff with relevant technical qualifications,” Seymour concluded. “University students can gain a real edge by taking this opportunity while they pursue their studies. Skilled workers from around Australia will also have the chance to join a dynamic team at the centre.”