Two British multinational engineering consultancy groups are setting up back-office operations in the Philippines that will provide high work content jobs for Filipino engineers, said the British envoy to Manila.

British ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham said UK engineering companies that will soon invest in the country are Atkins, a multinational engineering and design consultancy firm, and Balfour Beatty, a known engineering and construction services company.

“These companies will not only provide call-center jobs that are more popular in the Philippines but design engineering works for Filipino engineers that require high quality work content,” said Beckingham in an interview with the BusinessMirror.

Ambassador Beckingham said a wide range of new investments will be announced by British trade and investment minister Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham when he visits the Philippines on October 20-21 this year. Digby will be accompanied by a large group of British investors that will explore opportunities and possible partnerships in the Philippines.

Digby served as director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) for the last seven years prior to his appointment as UK trade minister. CBI is the umbrella organization of the British medium and small enterprises, said Beckingham.

The UK trade minister is scheduled to meet with key government trade officials and senior business people. He will also be the keynote speaker in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations Mining Convention and similar forum of the Makati Business Club and the British Chamber of Commerce.

Beckingham noted that Atkins’ investment in the Philippines is expected to provide an initial 200 to 300 jobs for Filipino engineers for the back-office design operations.

Atkins is one of Britain’s largest engineering consultancy firms with some 200 offices abroad. It specializes in engineering designs for buildings, rail network, modeling of flood defense system as well as in improvement of management processes.

Balfour Beatty, on the other hand, provides safety and technical expertise on essential asset infrastructures like hospitals, schools, road, rail, utility systems and major structures.

He said both firms will first set up training centers for its staff to be able to harness their skills and fit into the operations of their respective companies.

The United Kingdom is the country’s 15th-largest trading partner, next to Japan, the US, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Germany. In 2006, British exports to the Philippines reached 243.5 million pounds.

Top British export products include apparatus/appliances and spares, medical and pharmaceutical products, manufactured metals, office and machinery, general industrial machinery and power-generating equipment.

At the same time, British imports reached a total of 755.5 million pounds in 2006. Top imports include electrical and office equipment and machinery, apparel, miscellaneous, manufactured material, road vehicles, fish products, textile, fiber yarn and other articles.

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Two UK firms to set up Philippine offices

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