THE first of a series of Assured Skills academies run by business advice firm PwC has been launched, offering 20 high quality training places for people with a degree and an ambition to future-proof their skill set.
Applications have opened for the Department for the Economy-sponsored initiative, which will see participants receive nine weeks of industry-relevant pre-employment training in data analytics at Belfast Met.
In November PwC revealed that it was creating roles for 600 Assured Skills participants, underlining the strength of the north's professional services sector.
Heather Cousins, deputy secretary at the Department for the Economy, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for people with a degree to gain the skills they need to compete for jobs in the growing professional services industry where data skills are critical to many roles.
“Participants who successfully complete the Academy will gain industry recognised qualifications and be guaranteed a job interview with PwC. I urge anyone with an interest in entering this exciting sector to apply.”
Claire McNally from PwC added: “We're keen to bring on board graduates from a range of backgrounds and disciplines.
“No experience in data analytics is required in order to apply – the Assured Skills academy provides extensive and high quality training through Belfast Met and puts participants on a very strong footing to compete for a job with PwC.
“This is an exciting time for the company, with unprecedented growth in Northern Ireland and we look forward to welcoming new people to our company in the near future.”
As well as industry-relevant training, academy participants will receive a training allowance of £150 a week, travel expenses and may also be eligible for childcare allowance.
More information and details of how to apply available at www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills.
