Deputy Minister for Highlands and Islands and Gaelic Alasdair Morrison announced today (Monday, 12 June) that over 700 new jobs are to be created in Forres through the establishment of a multi-million pound customer service centre - set to become the biggest single centre of its kind in the Highlands and Islands.

The project, being undertaken by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, one of the world's largest IT service providers, will deliver customer services under a major new contract with mobile telecommunications company One2One. The development is being supported by a £1.7 million (pounds) investment by Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (MBSE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network and will be established on the new Forres Enterprise Park, making Cap Gemini Ernst & Young the Park's first tenants.

The 250 seat centre is being built by the Enterprise Network in two phases, for lease by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. The first phase which levered £770,000 (pounds) from the European Regional Development Fund towards the original site servicing and first office, is already complete with construction of the second phase of the facility due to get underway very shortly. The company already have four other facilities in the Highlands and Islands, at Inverness, Dingwall and Nairn and another centre in Forres itself, employing a total of 500 staff.

MBSE chief executive Dick Ruane said: "This was a fully mobile project and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young could easily have chosen to locate elsewhere. The fact that they have chosen to increase their presence in the Highlands demonstrates their satisfaction with the quality of our labour force and underlines this area's business competitiveness."

Cap Gemini Ernst & Young head of delivery for business process outsourcing Fiona Larg said: "Our existing Forres operation, set up in 1994, was our first venture into the Highlands and Islands. Since then we have expanded rapidly adding offices in Nairn, Inverness and Dingwall, employing around 500 staff.

"Our experience of working in the Highlands, the reliability and quality of the local workforce, the area's excellent telecommunications network and our close working relationship with the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network, made this area the obvious choice for us.

"One2One demand the highest standards for its customers and we are certain that the people of the Highlands, and particularly Forres, will deliver just that. Recruiting starts now and anyone wanting to find out more about the opportunities on offer should call us on 0870 904 4708."

Highlands and Islands Enterprise chief executive Iain Robertson said: "These jobs will provide a huge boost for the town of Forres and the surrounding area. Such a large and important client at the Forres Enterprise Park vindicates our strategy of providing a location with a really high quality environment for both new and indigenous companies to expand using new technology and new ways of working."

The new jobs will help off-set the economic impact of the run-down at the Ardersier oil fabrication yard, providing alternative employment for the families of oil workers and others. Forres's unemployment rate of 7.8 per cent is well above the Highlands and Islands average of 4.9 per cent. To help people take advantage of these new opportunities the Enterprise network is also investing £230,000 (pounds) towards the costs of a training project for the new centre's staff.