Bank of America to fund NI job skills programme

The Bank of America is funding 600 training places in Northern Ireland

A digital skills and employability programme for 600 people from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds has been announced by the US business delegation visiting NI.

The scheme will be funded by Bank of America and will be delivered by Belfast Met, the city's further education college.

It involves at least 30 "skills academies" over the next three years.

The programme was announced by Jane Hartley, US Ambassador to the UK.

"I have seen remarkable outcomes from similar Bank of America-funded projects in the US and I am hugely optimistic about its capacity to deliver the digital skills for young people in Northern Ireland," she said.

The programme will focus on enhancing digital skills and providing the opportunity to get qualifications and work experience.

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Louise Warde Hunter, Principal of Belfast Met said: "We know that developing digital skills in our young people and others struggling to access work to support their families is critical to fostering continued growth, productivity and innovation in our economy."

Meanwhile Joe Kennedy, the US Special Envoy leading the delegation to Northern Ireland, has announced that Florida-based insurance technology company Frontline has established an engineering development team in Northern Ireland in a £3.8m investment that will create 31 jobs. 

Belfast Lord Mayor Ryan Murphy welcomed Joseph Kennedy III

Twenty-six of the 31 roles are already in place in the operation, which trades as OpenData Belfast.

The project, which is supported by Invest NI, will deliver data analytics, data science, product development and operational support to Frontline.

It is one of a series of US "insurtech" operations which have been established in Belfast.