Following the successful undertaking of last year’s FinTech Assured Skills Academy, a second Academy commenced on Monday 29th January at Southern Regional College’s Newry campus providing provide high-quality education and training opportunities within the local community.
The Assured Skills Academy is offered in collaboration with First Derivative, a leading provider of software and consulting services to the global financial industry. The Academy, which is funded by the Department for the Economy, aims to equip participants with the skills and knowledge required to pursue a career in the fast-growing and innovative field of financial technology (FinTech).
On successful completion of the Academy, the twelve programme participants are guaranteed an interview with First Derivative for analyst positions, where they will be able to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to real-world projects and challenges. The Academy is a great way for aspiring FinTech professionals to gain a competitive edge in the job market and access a rewarding and exciting career path.
Running for eight weeks, participants will be introduced to a wide range of training, from 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.
Economy Minister Conor Murphy commented:
“I am delighted to see the second Assured Skills Academy in conjunction with First Derivative underway and this pathway providing FinTech training for 12 individuals with a guaranteed job interview upon successful completion.
“Assured Skills Academies have a strong track record of delivering high quality training to participants as well as providing employers with the talented and skilled people they need to grow and boost their competitiveness.”
Tracy Rice, Head of Business Support at Southern Regional College commented:
“SRC is delighted to be working in partnership with DfE and First Derivative to deliver this academy, providing an excellent opportunity for 12 people to develop key data and systems analysis skills in preparation for potential roles in the Fintech industry. This collaborative approach between industry and academia is a winning formula to prepare people for the digital jobs that are available in our local economy.”
Aoibhin McKinney, from First Derivative further commented:
“First Derivative are delighted to launch their second Assured Skills Academy. This year’s FinTech Analyst academy will see 12 successful applicants receive eight weeks of industry-relevant, pre-employment training at Southern Regional College’s Newry campus. They will have a guaranteed job interview for the Graduate Programme at First Derivative. An intense but well-rounded upskilling of various financial and technical platforms. Overall, a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is looking a career change or to simply upskill in financial or technical areas for developing exceptional talent.”