Lyons announces Assured Skills Academies in Belfast and North West with FinTrU

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons today announced 40 high quality training places on two Assured Skills Academies with successful local financial services company FinTrU.

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons

Providing participants with the skills they need for a job in the financial services sector, the Assured Skills Academies will deliver four weeks of training and a guaranteed job interview with FinTrU’s Belfast or North West Team for those who complete the course.

Open to applicants with a degree in any discipline, each Assured Skills Academy offers 20 training places. One Academy will be delivered by Belfast Met and Ulster University (UU), and the other by North West Regional College (NWRC) and UU.

Highlighting the opportunity, the Minister said:

“I am very pleased to announce two more Assured Skills Academies with FinTrU in conjunction with two of our local further education colleges and Ulster University.

“Belfast Met, NWRC and UU have a successful track record of training people to industry-level standard and positioning them strongly for jobs in this exciting sector.

“FinTrU is a locally-owned international success story working with some of the world’s largest and most prestigious investment banks – these Assured Skills Academies offer a fantastic opportunity and I urge anyone who is interested and eligible to apply.”

Claire Brennan, FinTrU Talent Partner, said:

“FinTrU’s Financial Services Academy represents a brilliant opportunity for people who have recently graduated or wish to make a career change to an exciting industry. No experience is required but we are seeking applications from ambitious individuals who want to join our award-winning team with opportunities in both Belfast and Derry~Londonderry. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to work alongside some of our global investment bank clients on exciting projects. FinTrU recently was named as ‘Company of the Year’ at the 2021 Business Eye Awards, so there isn’t a better time to join the team.”

Participants on the Assured Skills Academies will receive practical, real-world training on capital markets, financial markets, compliance and organisational skills. Training will be delivered through an online virtual classroom.

Sinead Hawkins, Business Skills Manager at North West Regional College, said:

“We are delighted to continue working with FinTrU to deliver the new online academy model. These academies are supporting the financial services industry and are providing quality job opportunities. At this time of economic recovery these academies provide hope and career direction for many individuals.”

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

“Belfast Met is proud to be a skills engine for our economy and we are delighted to continue to deliver this successful series of Assured Skills Academies. This programme will provide vital jobs in growth sectors, equipping learners, driving innovation and transforming lives by providing a vital stepping stone for participants into great careers.

“We look forward to continuing to deliver this DfE programme in partnership with FinTrU and to welcoming our new cohort of learners.”

Michael Pogue, Senior Lecturer in Financial Services at Ulster University Business School, said:

“Ulster University is pleased to be involved in the delivery of two more Assured Skills Academies in conjunction with FinTrU, Belfast Met and NWRC. The current mode of virtual delivery makes use of the latest remote learning technology to ensure participants in the Academy gain the knowledge and skills they require for employment in the expanding financial services sector.”

Applications are open now and close on 6 January 2022. Interviews will be held 14-24 January 2022.

Applicants must hold at least a 2:2 degree in any discipline upon completion of the Academy. No experience is required.

Training on the North West Academy will commence 31 January 2022. The Belfast Academy will start on 7 February 2022.

More information and details on how to apply is available at the Assured Skills page of the nidirect website.

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 Assured Skills Programme page of 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 .

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