IT firm Infosys on Tuesday (4) said it plans to hire 1,000 workers in the UK over the next three years as part of efforts to support the country’s economic recovery and growth.

The new hires will work in the digital space, including cloud computing, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, open source technologies and enterprise services, to support some of the world’s largest organisations navigate their digital journeys, a statement said.

The company will provide critical training and mentoring opportunities for the fresh hires, it added.

The new team members will join Infosys’ design studio in Shoreditch, its innovation centre in Canary Wharf and proximity centres in Nottingham and other client locations across the UK.

“To ensure a diverse talent pool and support the upskilling of the industry’s future leaders, a large proportion of the work force will be hired from recently graduated students from leading colleges and universities in the UK,” Infosys said.

The Bengaluru-based company will also hire experienced professionals from technology and consulting with deep sector expertise, who will be able to support local businesses in their digital journeys and lead a robust workforce for the future.

“While the talent gap has been looming, the events of the past year have exacerbated the need for vital digital skills as businesses have rapidly accelerated their digital transformation. Bridging the digital divide and making quality digital education accessible to every citizen are vital to the establishment of a robust future workforce, and the UK’s economic recovery,” Infosys CEO Salil Parekh said.

Infosys’ commitment to the UK is to support both recovery and growth through digital acceleration, hiring new talent, and supporting the development and reskilling of existing talent to meet evolving economic demands, he added.

“We continue to partner with universities across the UK to nurture the next generation of digital leaders and continually strive to close the skills gap, investing in a brighter future for everyone,” Parekh said.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson said the investment from Infosys is a vote of confidence in the UK and its technology sector and will help that sector scale new heights, creating the jobs of the future.

“We need more firms like Infosys with a commitment to investing in people to help the UK build back better,” he added.