Melbourne software development company Adacel Technologies will spend $22 million over the next five years to establish a software engineering centre in Wodonga, Victoria.

The centre will work on international projects in areas such as internet applications development using Java, ecommerce product design, and convergent data systems. "Adacel is expanding rapidly and winning high-profile international contracts. This centre will provide skilled professionals able to undertake the work," said Silvio Salom, Adacel's managing director.

The centre will train software engineers through an integrated work and study program developed jointly by Melbourne University Private and Adacel. According to Salom, the centre will train and employ over 200 software engineers over five years and achieve revenues of up to $25 million per year.

Employees will begin working on software projects after an initial three months training. Through a combined work and training course lasting approximately six years, employees will receive a Melbourne University Private degree in Applied Software Engineering, subject to the University's approval, which Adacel will certify. Training will commence on April 1 at the company's temporary site at Wodonga TAFE.

According to the Victorian Department of State and Regional Development, Adacel and the State Government are working in partnership to address the current skills shortage.