Consulting giant Accenture is adding hundreds of new tech jobs in Chicago, and getting its name atop its West Loop office tower, in new expansion plans announced Wednesday.
Accenture said it plans to add 600 high-skilled tech jobs in Chicago by 2022. It plans to take up seven floors at 500 W. Madison, and will name the building Accenture Tower. It expects to have 6,200 Chicago-based employees when the expansion is complete.
The company said it will also grow its Chicago apprenticeship program, doubling the program by committing to train 180 apprentices by the end of 2022. It began the program in 2016 in partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago.
The growth is an expansion of Accenture's Chicago innovation center, which the company opened at 500 W. Madison three years ago. The announcement was made Wednesday alongside Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
"I’m thrilled that Accenture is expanding its footprint in Illinois, advancing its commitment to innovation and technology, and directly investing in our workforce through apprenticeships that create new opportunities for communities that need them,” Pritzker said in a statement.
Accenture has been active in Chicago's up-and-coming startup scene, working with tech hubs like 1871, MATTER and mHub. It also contributes to P33, an initiative spearheaded by Penny Pritzker and Chris Gladwin to turn Chicago into a top-tier tech hub.
Accenture has more than 50,000 employees in 42 cities across the U.S. It works with 95 of the Fortune 100 and more than 70 percent of the Fortune 500.
Accenture is among several large firms that are adding scores of new tech jobs in Chicago. Both Facebook and Google are growing fast in Chicago, and Salesforce is planning to add 1,000 new jobs in Chicago over the next five years and move into a new 57-story tower on the riverfront.
