Twenty-five leaders from politics, business and civic society in Northern Ireland unveiled for prestigious Fellowship

The Fellows are joined by the Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Programme, John Healy, Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland and Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Programme, Professor Karise Hutchinson.

Twenty-five leaders from politics, the business community and civic society here, have been selected for the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building’s 2022 Fellowship programme.

The Fellows, unveiled today at an event at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, will engage with leading policymakers, academics, business leaders and public figures on social, political and economic issues and seek to develop their understanding of how to tackle those issues in Northern Ireland.

The Fellowship is backed by the leadership of some of the highest profile businesses operating in Northern Ireland including Allstate NI, FinTrU, Devenish, Fujitsu NI and Ulster Carpets. The programme is also supported by leading academic institutions and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Irish-American Partnership.

Speakers at the announcement of the new Fellows included Head of the NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady, as well as Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Programme, John Healy from Allstate Northern Ireland, and representatives from all five main parties.

Now in its second year, the six-month programme will see the Fellows undertake workshops and training in Belfast, Dublin and Oxford.

John Healy, Vice President at Allstate NI and Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:

“This is an incredible group of talented participants selected for this year’s Fellowship programme. As we begin the second cycle of this programme, - and the first without the political institutions in place - it is critical that these Fellows are well-equipped to provide leadership skills to tackle and navigate us out of the significant number of problems we are facing here in Northern Ireland.”

“The chosen 25 candidates will be joined by a group of  business, political and civic society leaders throughout the next 6 months, who will assist with the formation of the strategic leadership tools and techniques required to overcome the obvious hurdles in front of us. We need to invest in our potential game changers right now and this Fellowship is a purposeful way of making that happen.”

“I would like to thank the significant contribution that the advisory board of the Fellowship has made shaping this programme into the success it is already. Their time, effort and commitment should act as a guiding light to the past, present and future participants.”

Karise Hutchinson, Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:

“Given our troubled past in Northern Ireland, and the current political paralysis, we often neglect to be ambitious for the future. The Fellowship programme seeks to continue the conversation about what good leadership is, one that explores the possibilities of what a forward thinking society looks like.”

“As we move towards the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, this is a prime opportunity for renewal and to help develop those ambitious young leaders that will be taking on these challenges. I am proud to be supporting the launch of this year’s fantastic programme alongside my colleagues on the Advisory Board.”

The 25 participants of the 2022 CDPB Fellowship programme include:

  1. Alfred Abolarin, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Housing Executive

  2. Caoimhe Archibald MLA

  3. Charmain Jones, Women Spaces Co-Ordinator, Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network

  4. Conleth Burns, Senior Associate, More in Common

  5. Diane Forsythe MLA

  6. Doire Finn, Constituency Manager

  7. Don McCann, Strategy Manager, Invest NI

  8. Eoin Bradley, Political Strategy Advisor

  9. Gina Savage, Vice Principal, St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick

  10. Cllr Hannah Irwin

  11. Jamie Warnock, Head of Policy and Engagement, Law Society of Northern Ireland

  12. Jonathan McAdams, NI Civil Service

  13. Joy Ferguson, Economist

  14. Karen Smyth, Head of Policy and Governance, NI Local Government Association

  15. Michael McConville, Engineering Manager, NantHealth

  16. Nuala Murphy, Director, Diversity Mark

  17. Nuala Toman, Head of Policy and Communications, Disability Action

  18. Padraig Delargy MLA

  19. Patricia O'Lynn MLA

  20. Phillip Brett MLA

  21. Cllr Ryan McCready

  22. Stephanie O'Rourke, Deputy Director, Springboard Opportunities

  23. Cllr Stephen Donnelly

  24. Cllr Ben Mallon

  25. Tara Grace Connolly, Media Researcher

 

Donal Laverty, Consulting Partner at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore: Training, tech, and modern working practices present solutions to recruitment challenges

As originally appeared in The Irish News, Tuesday 06 September

Consulting Partner at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore Donal Laverty

Last month we discussed the pace of the labour market and the operational challenges it presents. A growing area of concern, some 31% of CEOs and business leaders now identify attraction and retention of talent as their main priority, a 16% increase on 2021 according to the latest Gartner CEO Survey.

As the impact stretches across the public, private and third sectors, solutions to ensure the crisis does not overrun all productivity and efficiency will need to be found, and leaders must assess their organisational design to ensure it is protected.

The most likely solution is one that has been discussed time and time again, that is the automation of services. In the past, it has displaced workers or devalued the work they do. Yet a combination of surging productivity and talent scarcity could place employees in an advantageous position as Artificial Intelligence and the use of Enterprise Resource Systems (ERPs) help them work more efficiently.

Employees can now reap the rewards of such enhanced efficiency, allowing them to bring more value to the workplace without the historic fear of being replaced by a machine. Harnessing new technologies requires specific skills, however, so training and upskilling is essential to make this solution work.

Another avenue to examine is where talent is sourced from in the first place, and how new employees are onboarded to the business. More and more, hiring managers are focusing on how best to empower their existing team to counteract the talent shortage. Some 21% have provided training opportunities to give in-house employees more responsibility, while 38% have implemented flexible working arrangements.

Training is a useful strategy to motivate and instill a sense of brand loyalty among existing team members, while flexible working is widely known to be a major draw factor among skilled candidates.

Companies can consider reducing commuting time by moving shift starting times away from rush hour, giving employees some personal time back and increasing the number of individuals that can reasonably travel to your premises for work.

Similarly, structuring a 40-hour working week as four 10-hour shifts will reduce the time spent commuting by 20%, and is an area that a lot more employees are willing to explore.

It is, however, the organisations who are taking on the responsibility of training and moving to hire people straight from school that are leading the way. Continuous learning in this way will be central to the future of work and extends far beyond the traditional definition of employee development. This is becoming more common, with Amazon ringfencing over $700m dollars in 2019 to train 100,000 employees for higher-skilled positions over a six-year period.

This focus on training, upskilling and development is of major value, not only to attract new employees, but to enhance the skills of existing team members. People don’t want to stagnate; they expect opportunities for growth and development and are motivated by the opportunity to continually expand their skills.

After all, work is no longer viewed as somewhere people go, it is a symbiotic ecosystem in which customers, managers and colleagues freely exchange value and meaning.

Conservative Party Leadership Contest 2022

The next leader of the Conservative Party, and the country’s newest Prime Minister, will be announced by 1922 Committee Chairman Sir Graham Brady at 12:30pm tomorrow. This follows a frenetic campaign over the past two months which has seen 11 hopefuls whittled down to the final two – former Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP and the current Foreign Secretary Liz Truss MP.

After a summer of nationwide hustings, increasingly wild promises (Liz Truss pledging to “take a look” at scrapping motorway speed limits, for example), and intra-party sniping, Boris Johnson will be out of Downing Street by Tuesday and the winner appointed by the Queen in Balmoral.

Both candidates have clashed over fiscal policy, with Liz Truss pledging to scrap national insurance and corporation tax rises, something the Sunak campaign has labelled as fiscally irresponsible. The former Chancellor has vowed to tackle inflation first before introducing tax cuts. Specific policy promises, however, have been light on both sides.

Whichever candidate is appointed Prime Minister on Tuesday, the backdrop to their arrival is certainly unenviable. Unprecedented energy costs and inflation, coupled with a buckling NHS bracing itself for winter pressures, will certainly shape the direction of the new Prime Minister’s first few weeks in office.

But whether it is the Northern Ireland Protocol or our absent Assembly remaining in cold storage, the new occupant of No 10 will eventually have to turn their attention to Northern Ireland. The bookies favourite, and current sponsor of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, Liz Truss has vowed to ensure the Bill progresses through Westminster, while also not ruling out triggering Article 16 in the coming weeks.

Sunak, on the other hand, has notable misgivings over the Protocol Bill and will likely be more reluctant to escalate tensions with the EU saying a negotiated settlement can be obtained “far quicker.” A new Secretary of State for NI is also likely to be appointed in the inevitable reshuffle this week, with Shailesh Vara unlikely to reach a third month in the role.

For the majority of the local parties, the return of the local institutions will remain the number one priority. For the DUP, they will want to see a recommitment by the new premier to fundamentally alter the NI Protocol.

Tomorrow will see the Tory Party appoint their third leader and Prime Minister since the Brexit referendum. Might either Truss or Sunak have more luck than their predecessors and steer the UK to the fabled Brexit sunlit uplands we’ve heard so much about? It remains to be seen.

The immediate challenges are clear, helping households and businesses through an incredibly difficult winter period. Longer term, they must grapple with issues like climate change, the post-pandemic economic recovery, and securing the safety of the Union in the face of growing Scottish nationalism and calls for a border poll in NI.

Whoever wins will want to make their mark as soon as possible, so watch this space for policy announcements, cost-of-living supports, and the appointment of new ministers.

New Job Alert: Client Manager, Brown O'Connor Communications

Position: CLIENT MANAGER

Experience: Min 3+ years

Area: Corporate Communications / Public Affairs

Salary: Competitive

Based: Adelaide Street, Belfast City Centre

The Person

Brown O’Connor Communications, the CIPR Northern Ireland Small Consultancy of the Year, is seeking a talented and ambitious Client Manager to join the team.

This is an exciting and demanding role within a leading consultancy and requires a resilient individual with demonstrable client management and leadership ability.

You may be already working in public affairs or corporate communications in an agency; as an in-house communications manager; in politics; or as journalist.

You will have a deep professional interest in business, the media and politics and have a detailed understanding of the role that media relations, public affairs, and stakeholder relations plays.

About Brown O’Connor Communications 

CIPR Consultancy of the Year Judging Panel – “it’s building a stellar client list”

Brown O’Connor is an ambitious and trusted public affairs led communications consultancy based in Belfast City Centre. We help our clients gain impact and outcomes through specialist insight and influence with editors, ministers, and commercial decision makers. 

We have a track record for managing and delivering complex communications programmes for some of the UK and Ireland’s leading businesses, professional services, charities, trade bodies, interest groups and public-sector organisations.

Our central office is based in Belfast City Centre managing clients based in Northern Ireland, GB, Republic of Ireland and the US.

We are highly regarded for our specialist Public Affairs and Corporate Communications services which includes Crisis Communications, Property and Planning Communications, Litigation Communications, Event Management, Political Monitoring and Communication Strategy Development.  

Client Manager Role Specification

Strategic Counsel

Proven client handling skills with experience in managing large accounts, providing proactive strategic advice and great ideas.

Ability to manage a high level of client interaction and be able to design and implement strategies.

Day to Day Delivery

Proven ability to work in a fast paced, often pressurised, outcome orientated environment.

Manage political lobbying campaigns securing policy change, legislative change and the smooth running of political engagement programmes.

Manage public awareness campaigns integrating various methods to create significant public interest.

Write strong editorial content on behalf of clients including press releases, opinion/platform pieces and blogs and ensure coverage across a range of media outlets.

Manage an entire range of suppliers such as photographers, graphic designers, videographers, economists and sectoral experts integral to the successful delivery of client activity campaigns.

Be able to create engaging social media content across multiple platforms.

Forward plan to ensure smooth running of client campaigns on time, and within budget.

New Business Development

Take a leading role in new business development and organic growth opportunities alongside company directors and be comfortable in pitching and proposal development.

Supporting successful tender writing from start to submission.

Experience in identifying and converting new business opportunities.

People Management

Line management duties with wider members of team.

Understanding the requirement to work with efficiency and profitably.

Manage team members on client accounts to ensure work is carried out successfully and within allocated budgets.

Work as a team player with Brown O’Connor colleagues to ensure success across client accounts.

Deliver outcomes for clients and work to raise their profile in the media and with key stakeholders in a positive way.

Criteria

3+ years working in the areas of Public Affairs and/or Corporate Communications or within a communications environment (Agency experience preferred).

Third Level Degree or equivalent in the preferred areas of Communications, Law, Politics, Business, Social Science or Humanities.  

Possess strong writing and editing skills with ability to write attention-grabbing media material, client correspondence and reports.

An excellent communicator both written and oral.

Commercially and politically aware.

Outstanding organisational skills and ability to manage multiple projects at the same time.

Strong initiative, leadership skills and work ethic.

Ability to hustle to make things happen.

Willingness to work evenings and weekends as required by client and other activity. 

Clean driving licence and access to a car.

Desirable Criteria

Experience in working in a similar communications role in the Republic of Ireland.

How to Apply

To apply in strict confidence, please send your detailed CV, covering email and the completed answers to the two set questions below, by email, to Brown O’Connor Communications at hello@brownoconnor.com by 5pm Friday 21st October 2022.

Please state your name and ‘Brown O’Connor Client Manager 2022’ in the subject line.

Application Process

Initial shortlisting

Two stage interview

QUESTION 1: Please outline, with examples, how you meet the Criteria as outlined in the Job Specification (Word Limit 300).

QUESTION 2: Please detail, with examples, your experience of strategic communications development, planning, implementation and the outcomes delivered. (Word Limit 300).

 

NI public urged to donate as Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launches Pakistan Floods Appeal

10-year-old Suneel* and 6-year-old Nadhir* look across floodwaters in Sindh, Pakistan, where millions of people need urgent help. Their families lost their homes in the disaster and are among the thousands being supported with emergency aid by DEC charity Islamic Relief.

As floods devastate Pakistan, the people of Northern Ireland are being urged to give what they can as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Pakistan Floods Appeal gets underway.

Launched today, Thursday 1 September, the appeal will help millions across the country who are in need of immediate help to survive.

One third of Pakistan – an area the size of the UK - has been submerged, according to the government of Pakistan, with floods sweeping away entire communities and leaving more than a million homes destroyed or badly damaged. At least 1,100 people have already been killed and 6 million more are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

The DEC brings together 15 leading aid agencies at times of crisis overseas. Seven of its member charities, including Action Against Hunger, Islamic Relief and Save the Children, are already on the ground in Pakistan providing life-saving aid but say that funds are vital to reach more of those affected with food, clean drinking water and shelter. At least three more members are intending to respond either directly or through local partners.

In Northern Ireland, the DEC brings together the charities Concern Worldwide, Save the Children, the British Red Cross and Tearfund.

Around 33 million people are affected overall – one in seven Pakistanis. Whole villages have been cut off, with rescuers struggling to reach them. Schools, roads, crops, and livelihoods are gone, and DEC charities say that time is critical with conditions expected to worsen as the rains continue.

The immediate focus of the relief effort is to save lives and provide temporary shelter and blankets to people who lost their homes, clean water and sanitation to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, food and medical assistance.

Director at Tearfund Northern Ireland Glen Mitchell said:

“Floods in Pakistan are devastating homes, livelihoods, and entire communities. We know that one in seven Pakistanis – around 33 million people overall – are affected as whole villages become cut off and people become more exposed to the elements. This might seem like a far-off crisis, but the people of Northern Ireland have an opportunity to help save lives. Supporting the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal allows you to donate directly to charities delivering assistance on the ground. We urge everyone to give what they can to support this effort.”

DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said:

“Our priority right now is to help save and protect lives as waters continue to rise. The scale of these floods has caused a shocking level of destruction – crops have been swept away and livestock killed across huge swathes of the country, which means hunger will follow. DEC charities are doing all they can but donations from the British public will make a huge difference in enabling them to reach more people. We’re urging everyone to give whatever they can at what we appreciate is a difficult time for us all.”

Stay up to date with developments in Pakistan, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts with the DEC on Twitter: www.twitter.com/decappeal or on Facebook via www.facebook.com/DisastersEmergencyCommittee

How to Donate:

  • Online: dec.org.uk

  • Phone: 0330 678 1000. Standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply

  • SMS: To donate £10 text SUPPORT to 70000. Texts cost £10 plus the standard network charge and the whole £10 goes to the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer's permission. For full terms and conditions and more information go to www.dec.org.uk.

  • Or donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office or send a cheque by post to DEC Pakistan Floods Humanitarian Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA.

Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead – Ireland Wednesday 31 August

Forward Look                                

  • Government departments will have until the end of the week to submit their list of budget requests to the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure.

  • Former Minister of State for Agriculture, Dara Calleary TD has been appointed as Junior Enterprise Minister, replacing Robert Troy TD.

  • A forthcoming Department of Public Expenditure report into existing ethics legislation will recommend that candidates disclose business interests before running for office.

  • Energy Minister Eamon Ryan TD will announce a new ‘Energy Action Plan’ after Budget Day on 27 September, the Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action has heard.

  • The Department of Agriculture has opened Stage Two of its Agri-Food Brexit Response Scheme. For more information, click HERE.

  • IDA Executive Director, Mary Buckley and Ibec Executive Director, Jackie King are frontrunners to replace outgoing IDA CEO Martin Shanahan from early 2023, according to media reports.

  • Next month, U.S. Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh and Congressman Richie Neal will address the Seanad to mark its 100th anniversary.

  • On Friday 2 September, the Central Statistics Office will publish national and international trade data for Q2.

  • On Friday 2 September, submissions will close for Dublin City Council’s Draft Development Plan: Stage 3. To respond, click HERE.

  • On Monday 5 September, the next meeting of Dublin City Council will take place. Cork City Council’s monthly meeting will take place the following day.

  • On Saturday 1 October, the next Ireland’s Future event will take place at the 3 Arena, Dublin. Actor James Nesbitt has been announced as a speaker alongside Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD and others. For more information, click HERE.

  • On Friday 28 October, Trinity College Dublin will host the Irish Start-up Conference 2022. For more information, click HERE.

  • Next month, taxi fares in the Republic of Ireland will increase by 12%, the first increase in five years.

Other Stories this week

  • Former Chief Financial Officer of Bank of Ireland, Myles O’Grady has been selected as Chief Executive.

  • Ibec has published its Budget 2023 submission. To view, click HERE.

  • Former Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach, Dermot McCarthy has been appointed to lead a review into Ireland’s energy security.

  • The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has set out proposals to increase electricity charges for larger companies from 1 October.

  • The employment level increased 8.7% year-on-year, according to data from the Central Statistics Office.

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 8 September, British Irish Chamber Annual Networking Dinner.

  • 14 September, Dáil Éireann returns from summer recess.

  • 16 – 17 September, Dublin Economics Workshop Annual Policy Conference.

  • 22 September, IBEC President’s Dinner.

  • 27 September, Budget Day.

  • 29 – 30 September, Centre for Cross Border Studies’ Annual Conference.

  • 30 September – 1 October, Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis.

  • 6 October, Construction Industry Federation Annual Conference.

  • 11 – 12 October, Hospitality Expo 2022.

  • 20 October, Dublin Chamber Annual Dinner.

  • 22 October, Fianna Fáil Taoiseach’s Dinner.

Consultations

Modern Slavery Statement

This statement is made on behalf of Brown O’Connor Communications pursuant to the section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Action 2015 and comprises our slavery and human trafficking statement up until the end of 2023.

OUR BUSINESS

Brown O'Connor Group Ltd (trading as Brown O’Connor Communications) is a full-service consultancy with a focus on a number of specialisms. We work with all types of clients including Businesses, Membership Bodies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Charities and Single Interest Groups.  

Our work reaches across sectors such as Health, Energy, Financial Services and FinTech, Legal, Extractive Industries, Victims and Survivors, Retail, Tourism/Hospitality, Construction/Property and the Public Sector.

OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

Our supply chains include: outplacement of IT services, plus outplacement of certain other routine tasks that are relevant to a communications agency such as NI, RoI and GB photography and graphic design.

OUR POLICIES ON SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. Our Anti-slavery Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our business and in our supply chains. 

DUE DILIGENCE PROCESSES FOR SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

As part of our initiative to identify risk and mitigate against such risks, we nominate senior representations of the business Chris Brown and Arlene O’Connor to oversee this process.

We have in place systems across our business; our trading partners; and our supply chains to:

·        Identify inappropriate employment practices.

·        Identify and assess other potential risk areas.

·        Mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring.

·        Monitor potential risk areas.

·        Protect whistleblowers. 

SUPPLIER ADHERENCE TO OUR VALUES AND ETHICS

We have zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking. To ensure all those in our supply chain and contractors comply with our values we operate in line with principles of responsible sourcing, including paying employees much more than at the prevailing minimum wage applicable within the UK and Ireland. 

'We need more than Twitter diplomacy' writes Dr Anthony Soares, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies

As originally appeared in the Irish News, Saturday 27 August

Dr Anthony Soares, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies

Brexit and its resultant Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland have significantly strained relationships within Northern Ireland, on this island of Ireland, between these islands and with Europe. As the Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, I know that without proper, respectful, and constructive dialogue, solutions will not only be harder to come by, but risks leaving Northern Ireland increasingly isolated.

Since the 2016 referendum, the need for respectful and informed dialogue that mirrors the ethos of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement has become vital for those engaging in cross-border cooperation. As political sensitivities surrounding the Protocol rear their often heated head due to the current impasse at Stormont and the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill going through the UK Parliament, we are regularly reminded of the importance of generosity and curiosity as the basis for constructive debate and for cooperation across these islands.

Recently, we published our sixth quarterly survey on the conditions for North-South and East-West Cooperation. It found that the political context for cooperation has been negatively impacted by the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. The clear message from civic organisations is that one way or the other, the political wrangling over the Protocol must be resolved.

Without a reset of relationships that focuses on honest and constructive dialogue, we will inevitably face even worse exchanges while we edge closer to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. This has been recognised by the House of Lords European Affairs Sub-Committee on the Protocol, which called for a reset of relations in its report published last month.

The challenge of rebuilding these relationships cannot be underestimated. The misinformation surrounding the Protocol, coupled with the new phenomenon of ‘twitter diplomacy’, has created a momentous task that would be dangerous to ignore.

Most importantly, a reset of relations will not be secured if sought exclusively by speaking with one particular actor, nor will it be found by looking exclusively within Northern Ireland. We must not act in isolation from the relations people here have with those in the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and further afield. Nor should the value of civil society groups participating in cross-border cooperation (North-South and East-West) be ignored.

It is this challenge that will be discussed when the 23rd Centre for Cross Border Studies Annual Conference convenes in person on the 29 and 30 September at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk.

This year’s conference will focus on the new challenges and approaches to cross-border cooperation, mobility and relations by bringing together government officials, policy experts and leading academics across two days.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin will deliver an address alongside other keynote speakers including the British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston, and Bernadette McAliskey.

As everyone influential in our society approaches the task of improving lives for our interdependent communities, we must recall the fundamental place of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and the totality of relationships it encompasses. It is these relationships that must be rebuilt upon a foundation of trust and factual dialogue.

To find out more about the Centre for Cross Border Studies and register for our highly anticipated Annual Conference, visit www.crossborder.ie.

'Fintech holds the careers of the future' writes Andrew Jenkins, Chair of the FinTech NI Association

As originally appeared in the Irish News, Tuesday 30 August

Andrew Jenkins, Chair of the FinTech NI Association

In the last few weeks thousands of students will have collected the results of the exams they sat just a few months ago. Whether it’s A-Level, GCSE or other, months and years of preparation will have gone in, with next steps and future career plans now a hot topic in many households.

Regardless of the outcome, results week can be an overwhelming time for students, teachers, parents, and guardians. One reason for this, and perhaps a positive one, is the sheer scale of opportunities that now exist in Northern Ireland.

We have a world-class, mature educational system that offers all levels of qualification in many disciplines. Routes into the professional world no longer follow the linear process of A- Level, university, and eventual employment.

Today there is a whole system of diplomas, higher-level apprenticeships, and skills academies to complement the traditional route.

This is a result of advancements in how we live and do business, something which we as a region have responded well to. Despite the pandemic, Northern Ireland continues to enjoy a boom period in technology as the industry grows both in size and economic contribution, leading the way on developments in payments and mobile banking to name a few.

Financial technology, the discipline which improves and automates the delivery of financial services, is key to this. Now worth over £392 million in annual value and employing over 7,000 people directly, it is a growing sector that is expected to create thousands more roles in years to come. 

For students, fintech is an opportunity to play a role in our economy of the future. A key priority area in the Department for the Economy’s 10X vision, the rapid growth of the sector has earned us recognition around the world, yet many of the people currently working in fintech may not have known it’s potential when at school themselves.

This is why STEM subjects are vital, and courses that inspire innovative thinking are important for local industry. Software development, blockchain, data science and cybersecurity are some of the most in demand disciplines in today’s sector, while problem-solving, disruptive thinking, high interpersonal skills, and an ability to adapt are the main soft skills that are beneficial in fintech.

This is what employers in the sector are looking for, and we as the independent industry association are working to ensure there is no shortage of qualified candidates to support further growth. The fintech sector is revolutionising the way we spend, manage, save, and invest our money, yet this potential relies on employees, and we must encourage more of our talented young people to pursue a future in the area.

This is a sector where curiosity is welcomed, challenge is encouraged and those who are willing to question and disrupt are being increasingly sought after for well-paid, dynamic roles.

A range of courses and qualifications provide a direct route into the sector, including at Ulster and Queen’s Universities, our further education colleges, and via the Department for the Economy’s Assured Skills Academies in local technology companies.

End of Summer Political Update - Stormont, Oireachtas, and Westminster

By Niall Fields, Client Manager

What’s happening locally?

In a normal year, the end of summer brings with it the return of MLAs to Stormont. In the ongoing absence of the Executive and Assembly, however, local power-sharing remains in cold storage over the DUP’s boycott of the institutions over the NI Protocol.

Moves are starting to be made to circumnavigate the boycott, however. Earlier this week, Department of Finance Permanent Secretary Neil Gibson used emergency powers to take control of Stormont’s finances in the absence of an agreed budget. Using Section 59 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the senior civil servant will now have the power to set out the cash and resource limits for public sector departments.

For most departments this new authorisation has been set at approximately 60% of Departments’ provision for the 2021-22 financial year. This will be reviewed at the end of October 2022. Mr Gibson, however, will not have the power to fund new policies in the absence of a fully functioning Executive. This means that he cannot distribute more than £400m of unallocated funds which Northern Ireland has received from the Treasury since the draft budget was published in March.

Health Minister Robin Swann has already warned that his department is facing a £400m overspend this year and has written to fellow ministers to outline the position. Economy Minister Gordon Lyons told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster that he thinks "that the UK government will have to step in at some stage and put a budget in place.”

The SDLP, as Stormont’s new official opposition, has called on caretaker ministers to convene a cost-of-living summit to collaborate and deliver solutions which can assist households. Parties, conscious of the difficulties which are sure to shock hundreds of thousands of workers this winter, are now keen to deliver solutions and supports which can help households.

This comes in the wider context of a growing wave of industrial action across almost every section of the economy and rapidly rising inflation, which some experts predict may peak at 18% in the new year. Local councils, nurses, teachers, postal workers, and other key public sector workers are all either threatening to strike or have taken industrial action in recent weeks.

However, in the ongoing absence of proper local decision making, little meaningful support can be delivered to households or businesses to ease the pressures of rising bills. Parties are set to meet with the Head of Civil Service Jayne Brady next Thursday, with the crisis set to top the agenda.

The return of the Executive appears no closer than it did at the beginning of the summer, with the DUP sticking rigidly to its boycott. Political insiders have intimated that February 2023 may be a possible date for return, however it remains a guessing game.

Key dates ahead

The final months of 2022 across Stormont, the Dáil, and Westminster will be heavily influenced and punctuated by four key dates – 5th September; 27th September; 28th October; and 15th December.

The first is the culmination of the Tory Party leadership race. The current polls have Foreign Secretary Liz Truss ahead of her challenger Rishi Sunak, promising to slash taxes to stimulate economic growth and tackle inflation. Ms Truss has so far promised little specific action on the cost-of-living crisis, however there are rumours she may deliver a targeted emergency budget to tackle the crisis.

Campaign insiders told the Financial Times this week that she is planning to take emergency action without an accompanying economic forecast soon after becoming Prime Minister, putting her on a collision course with fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility. The Sunak campaign has accused Truss of fiscal irresponsibility, however, by refusing to involve the OBR. Both candidates have also promised to retain the NI Protocol Bill which will disapply large swathes of the post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The second date, 27th September, is the Irish Government’s budget for 2023. Brought forward by a few weeks due to the cost-of-living crisis, ministers have been asked to get their requests into the Finance and Public Expenditure Ministers this week. The latter, Michael McGrath, has been keen to manage expectations, telling his colleagues that “not everything can be a priority”. One certainty to be included, despite Mr Donohoe’s concerns, is a windfall tax on energy companies to support households with spiralling bills, after Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan let the cat out of the bag in a now-deleted tweet.

Ministers and officials have been engaging with independent TDs to secure their support ahead of the Budget to ensure it passes. However, with minds focused on the pressures hurting workers, will cross-border initiatives like the Shared Island Fund receive less generous allocations than in previous years?

Longer term, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has expressed his concerns about the State’s overreliance on corporation tax and has tasked officials with carrying out a review on Ireland’s reliance on such tax as well as solutions to easing this burden. Other bones of contention include welfare increases, green measures like scrapping VAT on retrofitting and cutting excise on petrol and diesel, and a new income tax rate, potentially of 30%.

28th October is the date by which an Executive must be reformed and a First and deputy First Minister must be nominated. If this date passes without progress, Secretary of State Shailesh Vara is obligated to call another Assembly election, something all parties (and voters) will be keen to avoid, especially with local council elections scheduled for May next year already.

Previous Secretaries of State have ignored these deadlines in the past to give the parties more space for negotiation in the hope that a deal can be agreed. It remains to be seen also whether Mr Vara will still be in post by the end of October, with paper rumours this week that the Sunak-supporting Secretary of State will be replaced by former Chancellor Sajid Javid if Ms Truss becomes Prime Minister.

And finally, 15th December will see the reins of Taoiseach handed over to Fine Gael Leader Leo Varadkar again. Micheál Martin’s term will end just before Christmas and will bring with it a likely reshuffle of ministers across the coalition’s government. Reports in the south have suggested the Fianna Fáil leader could take either the foreign affairs, business and enterprise, or finance portfolios. This would put Fine Gael supremos Simon Coveney and Paschal Donohoe at risk of being shunted out to a lesser department.

Other reports have suggested that Paschal Donohoe will remain as Finance Minister to ensure he keeps his powerful position as President of the Eurogroup, the grouping of Eurozone finance ministers. Might Micheál Martin, as reported by the Irish Daily Mail, be offered the presidency of the European Council? The longevity of the three-party coalition remains under strain having recently lost its working majority with the removal of the whip from Donegal TD Joe McHugh. The resignation of Junior Minister Robert Troy has used up even more political capital of both Varadkar and Martin who defended the minister to the hilt and claimed he had no reason to resign.