Dodds announces Assured Skills Academy with PwC

Economy Minister Diane Dodds today announced a new Assured Skills Academy with PwC offering 20 high quality training places for people with degrees.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds

Focussing on Future Business Skills, the Assured Skills Academy will see participants receive eight weeks of industry-relevant pre-employment training at Belfast Met and Ulster University.

Participants who complete the training will gain industry-recognised qualifications and are guaranteed a job interview for a role at PwC in Belfast.

Highlighting the opportunity, the Minister said:

“I am pleased to announce another Assured Skills Academy with PwC and Belfast Met. This is an excellent opportunity for people with degrees seeking to start or change career in the professional services sector.

“Developing the local skills base is a key element of the economic recovery. Assured Skills Academies have a track record of success in upskilling people and helping them secure employment, and we intend to open more Academies for applications in the coming months.”

The Minister added:

“Successful applicants to the Academy will receive £155 per week training allowance and will be strongly positioned to compete for a job upon completion. I urge anyone who is eligible and interested to apply for this exciting opportunity.”

Deborah Stevenson, Operate Director at PwC, said:

“What’s really exciting about this Academy is that it’s focused on skills that will support growth across Northern Ireland, which could lead to very attractive career prospects for our students.

“We’re determined to support people to develop world-class careers on their doorstep. We recognise that as the world of work continues to change, upskilling and retraining is critical. By ensuring that a background in technology isn’t necessary to gain a place on this programme, we’re helping to create opportunities for a much broader group of people.”

The Future Business Skills Academy will focus on a range of areas including Financial Crime, Compliance Testing, Customer Management, PMO Services and Business Operations.

The Academy will last eight weeks and be delivered primarily virtually, although applicants should be prepared to attend some classes in a Belfast Met campus.

Louise Warde Hunter, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met, said: 

“I am delighted that Belfast Met is continuing to deliver this successful series of Academies. The Future Business Skills Academies have resulted in programme participants gaining new life-changing skills and progressing into good jobs and careers as a result. 

“It is commendable that PwC is offering highly skilled roles during these challenging times, and we look forward to continuing to deliver this DfE programme in partnership with them.”

Applications for the PwC Future Business Skills Assured Skills Academy are open until noon on 23 May. Video interviews will be held 31 May-2 June and training will commence for successful applicants on 17 June.

No experience is required. Applicants must hold a 2:2 degree or better in any discipline.

More information and details on how to apply can be found on nidirect. 

Notes to editors: 

1. Assured Skills is a pre-employment training programme run by the Department for the Economy. More information on Assured Skills is available on the DfE website.
2. Follow us on Twitter @Economy_NI  
3. For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office at pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk 
4. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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