Three information technology companies with plans to funnel about 1,000 new jobs into the local economy will hold a recruitment and networking fair at the University of Louisiana.

The companies – CGI, Enquero and Perficient ¬– will host the fair from 4:30-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Abdalla Hall, 635 Cajundome Blvd.


All announced this year that they will locate offices in Lafayette. An event to welcome them to the city will be held before the fair, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Abdalla Hall.


“Anyone who wants to learn more about these companies can attend,” said Kim Billeaudeau, director of UL’s Office of Career Services.


The companies need to fill a range of positions, including software programmers, business analysts and consultants, marketers, graphics and visual artists, and communications specialists.


University of Louisiana, the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority will sponsor both events, which will be held in conjunction with Louisiana Innovation Month.


As part of the month-long initiative, the state has recognized about two dozen companies, schools, foundations and University centers for business-related innovation and creativity. UL’s 143-acre Research Park is one of them. CGI, a Montreal-based IT company, will anchor a new, $13.1 million state-funded technology center there.


In a proclamation declaring November as Lafayette Innovation Month, City-Parish President Joey Durel on Tuesday gave the University credit for helping the city and region become recognized nationwide as “Silicon Bayou.” The document refers to several University units, such as the Center for Business and Information Technologies, the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences, and the Center for Visual and Decision Informatics.


CGI announced in April that it expects to hire about 400 employees in the next four years.


The technology center will be owned by Ragin’ Cajun Facilities, a private, nonprofit organization. The state’s Louisiana Economic Development will pay for it. CGI will lease space in the building.


CGI will operate from a temporary location until the 50,000-square-foot center is built. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of next year.


In July, Enquero announced that it would create about 350 new jobs through a technology center that will provide software products and services. The company is based in Milpitas, Calif., in that state’s Silicon Valley region.


The University’s Center for Visual and Decision Informatics will collaborate with the company to develop curricula and programs, and to help train students.


Enquero will lease about 2,200 square feet of office space from the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. It expects to fill its vacant jobs by the end of 2017.


In September, Perficient, which is based in St. Louis, announced that it will establish a software development center in Lafayette.


The company is an information technology and management consulting firm for a range of industries, including health care, financial services, retail, energy, electronics, automotive and manufacturing.


It plans to hire 50 employees by the end of next year, and a total of 245 people within six years.

Louisiana.edu