The Department for the Economy has announced two new Assured Skills Academies.
The first, a welding academy at South West College, will see 24 successful applicants receive industry-standard welding training during a six-week course. No previous experience is needed and participants who complete the Academy are guaranteed an interview for a welding position at one of seven companies in the Dungannon area.
Participants on the Academy will study for a Level 2 City and Guilds Award in Welding Skills.
Ciaran McManus, Head of Industry and Training at South West College said: “Engineering is a major sector of employment in the south west region. The college is committed to working in partnership with local employers to help them attract, develop and nurture new talent. This new pre-employment Assured Skills Academy is an example of this commitment and is a great opportunity for people in the area to gain new skills and a potential offer of employment.”
Training will be delivered in two separate cohorts of 12, full-time Monday to Friday (8 hours per day). This is planned to be 9.00am-5.00pm, however, due to the current Covid-19 situation, there is a possibility that the training may be between 1.00pm-9.00pm. Applications close at noon on January 15.
There are also 20 high quality training places for people with degrees on the new PwC Assured Skills Academy. Focussing on Future Business Skills, the programme 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.
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.
Applications for the PwC Future Business Skills Assured Skills Academy are open until January 25. No experience is required but applicants must hold a 2:2 degree or better in any discipline.
Commenting on the new academies the Employment Minister, Diane Dodds said: “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.”
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