News
Belfast Met and Citi’s Partnership Delivers Apprenticeship Success
Published: 31st January 2022
Belfast Met’s partnership with Citi, the leading global bank, has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to creating employment opportunities and career development pathways through the Department for Economy’s Apprenticeship NI programme.
The College has collaborated with Citi as a Partner of Choice during a period of strategic growth and workforce development planning. Citi is offering ambitious people a life-shaping chance to succeed in an exciting career as part of its apprenticeship programme in partnership with Belfast Met.
The partnership began with the provision of Citi’s ICT Apprenticeships with Belfast Met for its ICT Level 3 and 5 Apprenticeships. Building on the success of the ICT Apprenticeships, Citi and Belfast Met have worked together to expand their apprenticeship provision into their market operations department.
This has seen the recruitment of new apprentices onto Citi’s Providing Financial Services Investment Operations Apprenticeship. There are also new exciting plans underway for further expansion into business administration and human resources apprenticeships.
Taking an innovative and open-minded approach, Citi has worked closely with the College’s employer engagement and delivery teams to co-design curriculum content and delivery methods that best suit their apprentices and business needs.
Citi shares the College’s values of supporting people to develop skills, ensuring that apprentices thrive in their chosen career pathway, and Belfast Met’s partnership with Citi fulfils the College’s ethos towards holistic learning, enabling apprentices to gain the necessary skills for career development.
Aidan Sloane, Director of Development and Digital at Belfast Met, said: ‘At Belfast Met, we are delighted to be a partner of choice for Citi. The College’s longstanding partnership with Citi has been an incredibly positive and rewarding experience for the College. We have worked in close collaboration with the excellent team at Citi to develop and embed innovative apprenticeship solutions that meets the needs of their business.’
“The College’s partnership with Citi enables employees to develop the requisite skills required to work in this exciting industry and demonstrates how an apprenticeship model can work for employees and employers, as they work together to develop new ideas and continue to introduce new talent into industry with a global company.”
Graeme Craft, Belfast CSC Business Office Manager, confirmed: “Our apprentice programmes have grown since beginning in 2018. There are many career tracks available through Citi Belfast as we continue to give our people the opportunity to live locally but work globally, supporting businesses around the world.
“From apprenticeships to mentorships to those returning to work, Citi continues to seek out bright enthusiastic professionals aspiring to build a career in financial services or find a supportive workplace environment to grow their potential. We want people to build a career here, not just apply for a job, and that’s what makes Citi Belfast different as an employer.”
For details of Belfast Met webinars and Citi success case studies during Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2022 (7th – 11th February) please click here.
For more information about Belfast Met’s apprenticeships please email apprenticeships@belfastmet.ac.uk