From left to right: Darragh Brien, Stephen Lynch, Carolyn Doumeni, Ray Glennon, Marcella Flood, Jonathan Brittain, James Nolan, Karen Jones at Central Bank of Ireland.  

At National College of Ireland, we are immensely proud to announce that Central Bank of Ireland will be partnering with our IFS Apprenticeships. We celebrated this exciting news in the Central Bank of Ireland with a launch event on February 13th, 2025. It was fantastic for our teams to come together after so much planning. Central Bank of Ireland is the first Public Sector company to collaborate with NCI’s apprenticeship programmes, and we are enormously proud of this newly established connection as well as incredibly excited about all the ways in which this partnership will open new, dynamic opportunities for our students.  

About Central Bank of Ireland  

Founded in 1943, Central Bank of Ireland is Ireland’s main financial regulatory authority, and you will now find its headquarters at North Wall Quay. Central Bank of Ireland’s mission is to serve the public interest by maintaining monetary and financial stability while ensuring that the financial system operates in the best interests of consumers and the wider economy. 

Central Bank of Ireland prides itself on being an organisation that is known for being transparent, effective, and accountable, as they continuously strive towards public good. Not only does Central Bank of Ireland value being trusted by the public, but Central Bank of Ireland also endeavours to be a workplace where members of staff can build a fulfilling career and feel supported to reach their full potential.  

Marcella Flood, Chief Operating Officer at Central Bank of Ireland commented that “Partnering with NCI highlights our dedication to supporting early career growth in Ireland. Apprenticeships offer a fantastic starting point for anyone considering a career Financial Services. They provide the perfect blend of hands-on learning, mentoring from experienced professionals, and a pathway to academic achievement, all while contributing meaningfully to the workforce.” 

About IFS Apprenticeships  

At National College of Ireland, our International Financial Services Apprenticeships offer people a unique way to start their career or upskill in the financial services sector. Our two-year programmes are ideal for Leaving Certificate students or those who have an equivalent qualification, who have an interest in pursuing a career in the financial services sector.  

The higher certificate and higher diploma programmes in financial services allow students to "earn while you learn,” as the courses combine paid on the job training with academic study. This blended approach allows apprenticeship students to learn both inside and outside of the classroom, engage with a wide network of lecturers, peers, mentors, and colleagues at their onsite training, and ensures that they are industry ready upon graduation. Taking learned theory and knowledge and applying it directly in the workplace is a skill that can take time to learn, so having the opportunity to directly develop those industry skills while still studying is a fantastic benefit to students and it hugely benefits them when they go on to take that next career step. 

What does this partnership mean for NCI’s IFS apprenticeship students?  

This inventive collaboration is going to open many doors and build connections across both organisations and in the local community. By partnering with NCI’s IFS Apprenticeships, Central Bank of Ireland will be playing a key role in offering our students a dynamic range of invaluable opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to learn from brilliant guest speakers, and to tour Central Bank of Ireland, they will be exposed to many opportunities to connect with people who are already members of this thriving workplace, and through their work placements, they may even launch their own careers as experiences like this while still studying lay the foundation for career progression upon graduation.  

"The IFS Apprenticeships have proven to be a fantastic opportunity for those wishing to start or further their career in International Financial Services, as well as employers in the sector. For apprentices, the programme offers a pathway to launching their career and securing well paid employment in a vibrant and growing sector, in addition to graduating with a major Higher Education Award. For employers, the apprenticeship offers an exclusive and diverse talent pipeline, industry skills focused employee development, with no tuition costs and a grant of €2,000 per employee, per year, as well as offering excellent rates of employee retention." ~ Jonathan Brittain, Assistant Professor, Apprenticeship Manager, National College of Ireland. 

At National College of Ireland, we believe that this innovative partnership will benefit Central Bank of Ireland as much as it will benefit our students, because they will get to directly see the exclusive pipeline of talented students/candidates who will go on to be future leaders and remarkably successful members of industry. We are proud to be able to confidently state that students on our apprenticeship programmes are being educated to the highest standard as well as ensuring that they are industry ready and that their skills and talents are honed to suit business needs in their chosen fields. We have seen our apprenticeship students go on to win awards and flourish in the workplace, in Ireland and beyond.  

National College of Ireland and Central Bank of Ireland share a key focus, we both pride ourselves on being supportive, inclusive, dynamic environments where people can learn, grow, and blossom, and so it is incredibly exciting that we will now see this partnership grow as apprenticeship students will learn so much from all that Central Bank of Ireland has to offer, and Central Bank of Ireland  will meet the hardworking, brilliant people who could go on to be an invaluable member of their team in the future. It could all start with an apprenticeship. The possibilities are endless, and that is what makes partnerships such as this one so rewarding.  

We want to extend many thanks and say well done and congratulations to Jonathan Brittain, Darragh Brien, and to the Consortium Steering Group Members of the IFS Apprenticeships alongside all NCI and Central Bank of Ireland staff who have been involved for all their hard work and dedication to bringing this innovative partnership to life. 

“We are immensely proud to share news of this innovative new partnership between National College of Ireland  and the Central Bank of Ireland. We believe that this partnership will benefit both the Central Bank of Ireland and our students. We know our students will have an excellent experience as they complete their apprenticeship and that they will be valued and contributing employees within the Central Bank of Ireland. Thanks to all involved and every success to NCI’s student apprentices.” ~ Professor Gina Quin, President of National College of Ireland.   

At National College of Ireland, we understand that education is personal, and one can learn in many ways. We have always stated that apprenticeships can be extremely engaging, beneficial, and sometimes even life-changing opportunities for people because of the several ways they can open doors. With this in mind, we cannot wait to see where this partnership with Central Bank of Ireland will lead. 

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