£25m census coup brings 1,300 jobs
MANCHESTER has won a £25m investment and 1,300 jobs from the firm running the 2011 national census.
An un-named 180,000 sq ft location in Trafford Park has been chosen as the location for a data collection centre by UK Data Capture, the company running the census for the Office of National Statistics.
Investment chiefs from MIDAS and the North West Development Agency spent three years on the winning bid after a nationwide selection process.
Recruitment for the positions, which will be mixture of all skill levels, will begin in the summer. The jobs will only last until mid 2012, after all the census work is completed.
Stephen Meyler, director of UK Data Capture said the availability of people, good transport links and the enthusiasm of the local agencies, had sealed the decision Manchester’s way.
“In total UK Data Capture will be investing £25m in Manchester. The processing centre will be critical to the successful delivery of the 2011 census.
“This is an exciting project for UK Data Capture and we are looking forward to fulfilling our role in this vital and important programme, with Manchester as our base.”
Mr Meyler said the legacy of the investment would be “giving a number of people their first opportunity in a working environment.”
The census takes place every 10 years and is a vital tool in helping central government measure demand for local services like education, health and transport.
Ian Cope, census operations director at the Office of National Statistics, said “We’re very pleased that the site has been confirmed, it is a significant milestone in our planning for the next census which is now just over a year away.”
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “This is a significant investment for Trafford and testimony to increasing business collaboration. The NWDA has worked very closely with local partners and together have created a very strong team which has helped secure this investment.
Colin Sinclair, chief executive at MIDAS, Manchester’s investment and development agency added: “The creation of up to 1,300 jobs is a fantastic win for Trafford and the wider city region and serves to further strengthen Manchester’s reputation as leading location for large-scale outsourcing operations.”
In March 2011 each household in England and Wales will receive a questionnaire either through the post or delivered by hand.
The questionnaires can then be completed and returned by post or using the new secure online questionnaire. The paper questionnaires that are completed and returned by post will be delivered to the secure Manchester site to be processed.
