Dodds announces 20 training places in Assured Skills Academy with PwC

Focussing on Future Business Skills, the Assured Skills Academy will see participants receive 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 £150 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: “We can see how rapidly the world of work is changing and it’s vital that people are offered opportunities to develop new skills relevant for the future of work.

“We’re really pleased that virtually everyone who has graduated from our academies has been offered a high-quality job at PwC. We have many people now joining us from a variety of different backgrounds and I’d encourage anyone who is interested in broadening their career opportunities to apply.”

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: “We are delighted to be delivering this DfE programme. It comes on the back of a series of successful Academies that have been delivered remotely over the past number of months resulting in many job opportunities for the programme participants.

“Even in these most challenging of times the commitment of PwC to offer such highly skilled roles is to be commended and we look forward to delivering this programme in partnership with them.”

Michael Pogue, Senior Lecturer in Financial Services at Ulster University Business School, said: “Ulster University is pleased to be in a position to deliver this Assured Skills Academy during this time. Making use of the latest remote learning technology, we will ensure participants in the Academy gain the knowledge and skills they need to put them in a strong position to enter the field of financial services.”

Applications for the PwC Future Business Skills Assured Skills Academy are open until January 25 2021. Video interviews will be held February 9-11 2021 and training will commence for successful applicants on March 1 2021.

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

More information and details on how to apply is available at www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills

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