Accenture Federal Services, a Virginia subsidiary of the global professional services firm Accenture, opened a technology-focused innovation center Monday in Woodlawn that will more than double its workforce to 300 people in the coming years.
The Innovation Center for Technology will focus on information technology work for Accenture's federal clients, including Woodlawn-based Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. About 160 people are now based at the center and Accenture plans to at least double that number as demand grows for its technology services.
"If you just imagine the pace of change, what technology has done to the pace of change — I don't see that slowing down," said Mary Edwards, a senior managing director at Accenture Federal Services.
Accenture helped repair the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace, healthcare.gov, and remains involved in running the website. The firm was among the contractors selected in June to participate in another CMS contract, worth a total of $25 billion.
The company's federal clients need help not only integrating the latest technology into their operations, but finding a way to keep pace with technology's rapid evolution, she said.
About a year ago, Accenture decided it needed to hire more IT workers and look for a bigger Baltimore-area office to meet demand. The new space, on Security Boulevard, is about three times the size of its previous Woodlawn office.
The workforce based there has grown from 45 to 160 over the past 12 months.
"The new Accenture Innovation Center for Technology in Baltimore is a welcome addition to the local economy and community and should create high-quality technology jobs," Rep. Elijah E. Cummings said in a statement. "Baltimore is a growing incubator for innovation, and we are proud that Accenture [Federal Services] has chosen to expand and create new jobs here in our city."
Cummings participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility Monday.
Accenture recruits at local universities for its offices across the country, and its representatives said they hope the Woodlawn expansion will draw more workers from Baltimore-area schools. In addition, the company said it will work with Baltimore schools and nonprofit groups to teach students coding, public speaking and other workforce skills.
As it expands in the Baltimore area, Accenture wants to contribute to the community and set an example of corporate leadership, Edwards said.
"We hope we see more of it happen — that local companies think more about how to help the region," she said.
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