On 2nd September, leaders from industry and academia came together for a roundtable discussion dedicated to one of the fintech sector’s most critical priorities: developing the right skills for a rapidly changing industry. Hosted by Invest Northern Ireland, the event brought together representatives from Ulster University, SRC, Belfast Met, and DCU, alongside fintech companies and ecosystem partners.
The conversation was guided by four objectives:
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Understand current and future skills demand across the fintech industry.
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Identify workforce challenges and pain points faced by organisations.
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Explore ways to align training and education with real-world needs.
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Showcase DigiAdvance, the EU-funded initiative enhancing the digital and fintech skills of SMEs.
Setting the Scene: The Future of Skills in Fintech
The session opened with a scene-setter on how technology, regulation, and customer needs are reshaping talent requirements. Themes such as AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, data analytics, compliance, and ESG integration all emerged as areas where future skills will be critical.
Participants reflected on questions such as:
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Where are the most pressing skills gaps today?
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Which skills will be in greatest demand in the next 3–5 years?
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How can education providers respond with relevant, flexible, and accessible programmes?
Key Themes from the Discussion
1. Understanding Skills Demand & Delivery
The group discussed which skills are most in-demand now, and how demand is shifting. Courses, placements, apprenticeships, and micro-credentials were highlighted as important pathways for fintech talent development.
2. Workforce Development Challenges
Recruiting and retaining skilled talent remains a major challenge. Barriers include upskilling existing employees, supporting career transitions, and creating attractive pathways for professionals in a competitive market.
3. Aligning Skills Supply with Market Needs
There was strong interest in creating collaborative frameworks to aggregate demand and influence curriculum design. Micro-credentials and modular learning were seen as powerful tools to address emerging, niche skills gaps while ensuring training remains industry-driven.
Spotlight on DigiAdvance
A highlight of the roundtable was the DigiAdvance showcase. The project is designed to:
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Map industry demand to learning delivery, ensuring programmes are aligned with market needs.
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Offer flexible, co-designed micro-credentials tailored for SMEs and fintech firms.
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Provide modular, industry-relevant learning opportunities to support placements, apprenticeships, and lifelong learning.
The discussion explored how DigiAdvance could support specific organisational needs and what areas of fintech training should be prioritised for future micro-credential development.
Looking Ahead
The roundtable concluded with a focus on ecosystem collaboration — from cross-border initiatives within the Fintech Corridor to the role of hubs, accelerators, and incubators in building capacity. Emerging technologies such as quantum computing, digital identity, and CBDCs were also flagged as future skills drivers.
Key takeaways included the importance of:
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Collaboration across industry and academia.
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Innovative training pathways that match the speed of fintech innovation.
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Ongoing measurement and adaptation to close the skills gap over time.