Consultancy firm PwC has announced that it will create more than 600 ‘Assured Skills Academy’ training places in partnership with the Department for the Economy (DfE).
The Department has worked with PwC, Belfast Met and Ulster University (UU) to develop a £4.4m pre-employment training project to upskill graduates of any discipline through 37 Assured Skills Academies over the next five years.
Individuals will then be able to compete for 600 new jobs at PwC, to be in the company’s new Merchant Square office in Belfast. The firm’s Belfast office is now the fastest-growing in the UK, and is the largest outside of London. and the upcoming jobs will be within its rapidly expanding ‘Operate’ operational delivery division.
Academy participants will receive industry-relevant training that equips them to compete for increasingly in-demand jobs such as business associates, data analysts and robotic process engineers. Those that complete an Academy will not be guaranteed one of the 600 jobs, but will be promised an interview with the firm.
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Announcing the project, DfE Deputy Secretary Heather Cousins said: “Since starting as a pilot in 2011, Assured Skills Academies have trained more than 1,500 people, with over 1,200 securing employment across a range of diverse sectors.”
Paul Terrington, PwC’s Head of Regions, said: “Our Operate division’s unprecedented growth over the past two and a half years has created a consistent demand for more highly-skilled people to fill exciting jobs of the future in Northern Ireland. Co-creating the content for these Academies means we are able to play a positive role in upskilling the Northern Ireland workforce, in line with PwC’s commitment to digital upskilling not just for our employees but for wider society.”
Applications for the first PwC Future Business Skills Academy are open, with 20 graduate training places available. Applicants must hold a 2:2 degree in any discipline. Closing date for applications is 20 December 2019.
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More information and details of how to apply are available at www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills
