Frew announces legal services Assured Skills Academy with FinTrU

Date published: 28 June 2021

Economy Minister Paul Frew today announced the second Assured Skills Academy in legal services with local company FinTrU.

Minister Paul Frew
Minister Paul Frew

The Academy will deliver 20 training places to individuals with degrees who wish to retrain in the legal aspect of financial services.

Training will be delivered remotely over a five-week period by Belfast Met, Ulster University and Queen’s University. Participants who complete the Academy will be guaranteed an interview for a position with FinTrU.

Keen to highlight the opportunity, Minister Frew said:

“FinTrU is a successful and growing local employer and I am very pleased that my Department is once again working in close partnership with the company to offer an Assured Skills Academy.

“Assured Skills Academies have a strong track record of providing high quality training whilst also providing local businesses with the skills and talent they need to grow.

“This is the second time we have offered an Academy in the legal aspects of financial services. I am particularly encouraged that three of our local further and higher education institutions will be working collaboratively to deliver a very high quality learning experience for those who are successful in their application.”

The Minister added:

“I encourage anyone with a degree and who meets the criteria to apply for this excellent opportunity.

“Officials in my Department continue to work hard to bring forward even more Assured Skills Academies offering high quality training opportunities.”

Applicants who are selected for FinTrU’s Legal Academy will receive practical training by industry experts and will have the opportunity to develop the core skills needed to take up exciting new graduate roles in FinTrU.

Roli Shaw, General Counsel and Head of FinTrU Legal, said: “We are delighted to launch applications for FinTrU’s second Legal Academy. This is a fantastic opportunity for those who wish to train in the legal aspects of Financial Services, and embark on a career working with some of the largest global investment banks from right here in Northern Ireland – which has obvious appeal to graduates from law and language disciplines.

“We have continued to successfully recruit multiple virtual Academies over the past year and are excited to offer further opportunities to the local talent through our Legal Academy. FinTrU was named by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies this year and we are keen for ambitious individuals, who are keen to showcase their talents on the global stage in an exciting industry, to join our journey.”

Louise Warde Hunter, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met, said: “We are delighted to be delivering this new academy in partnership with FinTrU, further testament to the role the FE sector plays as a skills engine within our economy. This Assured Skills Academy programme will provide our learners with exciting opportunities to progress into high quality legal jobs in the financial services sector.”

Michael Pogue, Senior Lecturer at Ulster University’s Business School, commented: “With Belfast recently being ranked in the inaugural top ten Tech Cities of the Future, maintaining this global reputation is dependent on the development of world class talent with industry relevant skills. Ulster is delighted to join with partners FinTrU, the Department for the Economy, Belfast Met and Queen’s to create a skills pipeline for the fintech industry and is proud to play a role in providing students with the skills and knowledge to support current and emerging technologies to secure employment in an industry which will be pivotal in supporting economic recovery of the region.”

Dr Marek Martyniszyn, Interim Head of the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with colleagues at Belfast Met and Ulster University to provide high quality training to these graduates.

“At Queen’s, we are committed to developing the next generation of leaders to make a positive impact, locally, nationally and globally.  

“Upskilling will benefit not just these individuals but the wider economy as we emerge from the pandemic, helping Northern Ireland to compete on the global stage.”

Applications for the FinTrU Legal Assured Skills Academy are open until 23 July 2021. No experience is required but applicants must hold a 2:2 degree or better in any discipline.

For more information and to apply visit NI Direct Assured Skills

Notes to editors: 

  1. Assured Skills is a pre-employment training programme run by the Department for the Economy. More information is available at Assured Skills programme
  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 18:00 hrs and 08:00 hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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