NCI Blog

You might know that there are traditional undergraduate and postgraduate study options available at NCI but did you know that we also offer apprenticeships in both finance and recruitment? Below we share the facts about our IFS Apprenticeships so if you’re thinking about starting a career in financial services, this could be your next step.

With vast experience in the service industry, Linda Conway had gained a good understanding business operations. However, she had a desire to gain a formal qualification as she knew this was an essential step that would help her navigate the path ahead.

Having always loved working with people during his career in retail management, Brendan Breslin had an abundance of experience but came to a professional crossroads. After some advice from a career coach, he started his journey to gaining valuable qualifications in the HR field and he hasn't stopped since.

Apprenticeships are a popular choice among students who seek to advance their careers while simultaneously achieving a professional qualification. These programmes give people from all backgrounds the opportunity to enter various industries without prior knowledge or experience. Students can apply their classroom learning to their daily tasks on the job, and conversely, their work experience to classroom learning. National College of Ireland offers apprenticeships in both recruitment and financial services, to learn more, please visit Apprenticeships at NCI.

Having worked in hospitality for a number of years and having recently moved into a new role training and support role for an international hotel group, Stephen McCusker decided to return to education to gain a relevant qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD. Stephen shares insights into studying the (CIPD) Diploma in Professional Learning and Organisational Development at National College of Ireland, including how he has applied what he has learned in his current role and his advice for anyone considering this programme, in the Q&A interview below.

In this blog post, Niamh Daly shares her journey studying the BSc (Honours) in Data Science at National College of Ireland. She recalls her interest in data analysis from a young age, how she learned NCI's course was a perfect fit for her as well as he experience completing her work placement with Dell Technologies. Finally, Niamh discusses her final year project which focuses on the impact of the weather on Formula One and won the overall prize at the Computing Project Showcase recently.

Dr Paul Hanly, Associate Professor and Vice Dean of Postgraduate Studies at NCI’s School of Business, hosted a webinar sharing useful insights into studying a part-time postgraduate programme in business.

Rebecca Redmond Trimble, who holds an honours degree in Marketing Practice from NCI, is now settled in Belfast, in preparation for undertaking her Master’s degree at Queens University. We asked her to share her NCI experience with us.

After completing her Leaving Certificate in 2015, Leanne Kelly felt that going straight to college was the right thing for her. However, she soon realised that joining a course she was unsure of in a big college wasn't working for her so she took a break from studying before starting her psychology journey at NCI in 2017. At that stage, she knew she had made a step in the right direction.

We believe our students are living proof of what can be achieved with a qualification from NCI, but they’re also proof that it’s possible to integrate student life into your existing working and personal life and get the balance right. Don't believe us? Read how Marian, current student of the MA in Human Resource Management, manages it all.