Certeco bolsters academy with new recruits

Citation

(2013), "Certeco bolsters academy with new recruits", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 45 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2013.03745caa.010

Certeco bolsters academy with new recruits

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 45, Issue 3

Business-technology change consultancy Certeco has recruited 18 young people to its academy, a training initiative that focuses on providing technology-consultancy jobs for school and university leavers.

The academy – which puts newcomers to work alongside experienced consultants – is run in conjunction with Certeco’s clients, many of which are top names in global banking and insurance.

Increasingly, customer patterns are changing banks’ business drivers and there is a clear dichotomy in what customers want. The banking crisis has meant older customers are calling for a return to traditional banking values, whereas Generation Y and the customers of tomorrow are pushing for mobile and social-networking innovation.

Through the academy and using the knowledge of technology that younger generations have, Certeco is helping financial companies to discover the business drivers of the customer of tomorrow.

Adam Ripley, chairman of Certeco, explained: “Understanding the customer of tomorrow and the drivers that will transform the banking industry is essential for financial-services companies. This is the ethos behind our academy.”

“At Certeco we believe that UK industry is in danger of missing out on a vital opportunity if it fails to recruit young people. Working with our academy members to train them with the skills they need to support our senior teams and clients, while capitalizing on their technological know-how is a winning formula.”

Academy members do not need specific IT skills and training. A bright and enthusiastic attitude and a common-sense approach to business are the qualities Certeco believes are essential for training these business-technology consultants.

Andrew Weeks, a recent recruit to Certeco’s Academy, commented: “Youth unemployment is at an all-time high. Many of my peers are in the situation where they cannot get a break. I am excited about joining the Certeco academy and seeing what I can bring to the party. It is forward-thinking of Certeco to realize that if companies do not hire people of my generation they could be missing out on important innovations they need to make to their business models.”

Certeco’s services enable companies to plan, analyze, manage, test and deliver enterprise-change programs, ensuring the systems are fit for purpose before implementation in a live business environment. The firm, which counts 12 of the largest financial-services organizations among its clients, has a workforce of more than 150 and annual sales of over £15 million.