FinTech Analyst opportunities on Assured Skills Academy with Newry company First Derivative

The Department for the Economy has announced a second Assured Skills Academy with Newry company First Derivative.

FinTech Analyst Assured Skills Academy open for applications

Funded by the Department, the FinTech Analyst Assured Skills Academy will see 12 successful applicants receive eight weeks of industry-relevant, pre-employment training at Southern Regional College’s Newry campus.

Highlighting the opportunity, Graeme Wilkinson, Director of Skills at the Department for the Economy said:

“I am very pleased to announce 12 high quality training places on this Assured Skills Academy with First Derivative and Southern Regional College.

“This is the second Assured Skills Academy with First Derivative and is an excellent opportunity to gain training in a cutting edge sector and be strongly positioned for a role with the company.

“With no experience required and an allowance of £175 per week while you complete your training I would urge everyone who is eligible and interested to apply.”

Participants who complete the Academy will be guaranteed an interview with First Derivative for an Analyst position.

Mark McGivern, Senior Vice President at First Derivative, said:

“We’re delighted to engage for a second time with the Assured Skills Academy after a successful academy programme in early 2023. Across First Derivative, we are committed to recruiting and developing local talent to support our next phase of growth. The Academy offers a tremendous opportunity for successful applicants to learn and enhance key data and systems analysis skills while also building broader technology and digital capabilities for the FinTech industry. We look forward to the Assured Skills Academy playing an important role in the ongoing growth and development of our local workforce.”

The Academy will deliver training in a range of areas, such as Introduction to Capital Markets, Introduction to Project Management, Introduction to Using Python for Analytics, Software Fundamentals, Introduction to Cyber Security, Introduction to Cloud Technologies, RDBMS/SQL, Excel and Introduction to PowerBI.

Raymond Sloan, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College said:

“Southern Regional College is delighted to be working in partnership with DfE and First Derivative to offer this fantastic opportunity for 12 people to develop advanced digital skills in one of the key economic priority clusters as defined in the 10X Economy strategy. Digital skills are the lifeblood of a thriving local economy and in today's interconnected landscape, the ability to navigate and harness the power of technology is essential for individuals and businesses to stay relevant and competitive. By investing in digital skills development, we empower our community to embrace the opportunities of the digital age, unlocking innovation, driving economic growth, and ensuring a prosperous future for all."

Applications for the First Derivative Analyst Assured Skills Academy are open until midnight on Friday 24 November 2023. Training for successful applicants will commence on 29 January 2024 and run until 22 March 2024.

No experience is required but applicants must hold at least a 2:2 in any degree discipline, or have a Level 5 qualification in an ICT, Business or STEM related subject.

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

Notes to editors: 

1. Assured Skills is a pre-employment training programme run by the Department for the Economy. More information is available on the Assured Skills Academies page on the Department's website.

2. To keep up to date with news from the Department you can follow us on the following social media channels:

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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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