New Report Highlights Need for Upskilling in the Irish Finance Sector

The UCD Professional Academy has published a new report: Digital Upskilling Trends in the Irish Finance Sector. The report is an industry analysis exploring current challenges faced by the financial sector and where current skills gaps exist.

The report outlines how the Irish financial industry is facing a wave of digital disruption driven by AI, big data and new competitors: rival Big Tech organisations are embracing new technologies to gain a competitive edge, cybersecurity threats are escalating, and data privacy concerns are mounting as regulatory burdens grow.

Compounding these challenges is a notable shortage of skilled professionals in data analytics, AI, and cybersecurity.

Success in today’s tech landscape requires a skilled workforce with up-to-date knowledge of fast-developing areas and specialised skills. The potential consequences of failing to remain competitive through upskilling may be extremely consequential for financial organisations. Gaps in cybersecurity skills can leave organisations vulnerable to data breaches and financial losses and without adequate data literacy, finance professionals may struggle to make informed decisions.

To ensure they don’t get left behind, this report recommends that L&D leaders in financial organisations leverage layered learning programmes to cater to different skill levels and collaborate with educational institutions to build training solutions tailored to the specific needs of their organisations.

This is the first in a series of industry analyses by the UCD Professional Academy exploring digital upskilling trends in leading Irish sectors.

Commenting on the publication of this latest report, John Delves, CEO of the UCD Professional Academy said:

“In a rapidly changing world, the importance of developing a skilled workforce to enable a thriving economy is the subject of increased focus from industry leaders. This is an opportune moment for the financial sector to adopt a strategic approach to workforce upskilling to ensure they are best positioned to continue to thrive in the years ahead.

At UCD Professional Academy, our curated courses can be built to adapt to the needs of individual organisations or companies. We are constantly updating and developing our learning modules in line with industry developments, making us the ideal upskilling partner for a fast-changing sector.”

The report is available online here.