ASOS announces applications for the second cohort of its Assured Skills Academy Tech training programme
BELFAST, 31st January 2022: ASOS has announced that applications for the second cohort of its Assured Skills Academy in Northern Ireland, funded by the Department for the Economy, open today.
The 10-week training programme will equip participants with key technical skills such as programming, business skills, agile and Microsoft Azure and data fundamentals. Participants will also complete a Microsoft Accreditation and will have an opportunity to join the ASOS Tech team upon completion.
Due to open in Belfast in early 2022, with a permanent location to be announced, ASOS is investing £14million in the new Tech Hub over the next three years as it continues to scale its investment in technology, creating 184 new jobs with eight permanent staff already on board.
The Department for the Economy is providing funding of almost £1million for the Assured Skills Academies over three years, with the first cohort of 20 participants due to graduate in mid-March 2022, followed by the commencement of the second cohort at the end of April.
Roisin McCormack, Assured Skills Academy cohort one participant, said: “ASOS’ Assured Skills Academy has provided me with the opportunity to further develop my skillset within a well-structured, encouraging and friendly atmosphere that makes learning more enjoyable. The opportunity to network with current ASOS employees was extremely beneficial and provided great insight into the company's goals and values. This has been one of the most challenging yet enjoyable educational experiences I’ve had to date.”
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA said: “The development of the new Belfast ‘Tech Hub’ and the creation of over 180 jobs represents a significant investment in Northern Ireland by the company. In return, our talent base will provide ASOS with the high-quality engineering resources it needs to achieve its international growth plans. Once in place, the new jobs will contribute almost £6.5million in additional salaries to the local economy. Of the new roles, 130 will participate in my Department’s pre-employment Assured Skills training programme which will offer the company a pipeline of skilled individuals over the next three years.”
The Minister added: “The first academy is currently in training and going very well and the second academy, focusing on Big Data Engineering and being delivered by South Eastern Regional College, is open for applications now. I urge anyone who is interested and eligible to apply for this exciting opportunity.”
Cliff Cohen, Chief Technology Officer, ASOS, said: “We’ve been blown away by the level of talent we’ve seen across our Northern Ireland recruitment and in the Assured Skills Academy, reflective of Belfast’s talented and vibrant digital workforce. We’re committed to supporting and fostering that talent as we embark on our next phase of growth and look forward to welcoming our second Assured Skills cohort in the coming months.”
ASOS is encouraging all interested candidates to apply, with successful applications from the current cohort not only coming from tech backgrounds but from a wide range of industries including marketing, law, education and engineering. Some participants also joined the programme having just completed university courses. No qualifications are required, but the programme would particularly suit those from a STEM background or with experience or an interest in technology, whether from a university or college course, job experience or self-learning. The course would also be suitable for those already employed in the Tech industry who are looking to move into or learn more about Big Data Engineering.
For more information including how to apply for ASOS’ Assured Skills training programme, please visit The Department for the Economy’s website here.
-ends-
ABOUT ASOS
ASOS is an online destination for fashion-loving 20-somethings around the world. ASOS’ vision is to be the go-to destination for such fashion-loving 20-somethings. Through ASOS’ mobile app and web experience, customers can shop a curated edit of approximately 90,000 products, sourced from approximately 900 global and local partner brands, alongside a mix of fashion-led in-house labels including Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, HIIT, ASOS DESIGN, ASOS EDITION, ASOS 4505, Collusion and Reclaimed Vintage.