The 30% Club Ireland has launched a new initiative to encourage school and college students find out more about the diverse range of roles and career opportunities in the Financial Services Industry.
A Career Less Ordinary is a unique initiative that has been developed under the Ireland for Finance strategy within the Department of Finance and includes a promotional video, together with a collection of job profiles that describe a range of roles that go beyond those typically associated with the industry.
The profiles feature case studies of people who have progressed their careers in finance and highlights the education choices that helped them get there.
The initiative is designed to challenge some of the traditional stereotypes that exist around jobs in banking and finance industry, and while the programme is not gender specific, it is designed to encourage more young women to consider the sector as a viable career option. It aims to show finance as a sector where professional life ambitions can be achieved through interesting innovative jobs, with career progression and the opportunity to move into more senior roles.
The 30% Club is a global campaign supported by Board Chairs and CEOs of medium and large organisations, committed to achieving better gender balance at leadership levels and throughout their organisation, for better business outcomes. Established in 2015, the Irish chapter is supported by the leaders of more than 270 leading Irish businesses and organisations across all business sectors, representing more than 600,000 employees. Enabling future female leaders through talent pipeline initiatives is a key aspect of their activity.
Jobs reimagined
Gillian Harford, Country Executive with the 30% Club, commented: “Choosing career options is challenging for any young person, particularly when jobs of the future are constantly being reimagined.
“Our Financial Services Group (FSG) was eager to show the wide range of roles that go well beyond the most well-known such as bank cashiers, personal lending advisers or stereotypes of Wall Street traders, and instead demonstrate a much broader range of opportunities for building a sustainable and successful career in a modern tech-led industry – with diverse and interesting career paths, a strong reputation for investing in education and training, and an important part of the Irish economy.”
“As part of continued support for building a future talent pipeline, the 30% Club hopes that these practical resources, which will be available through CareersPortal.ie – Ireland’s largest career guidance website – will be useful to students, parents and teachers in opening possibilities and bringing more talent, especially talented young women, into the industry.”
A Career Less Ordinary is an official action measure of the 2021 Ireland for Finance Action Plan under the Talent Pillar. The Department of Finance and Ireland for Finance have welcomed the initiative as part of the 30% Club’s continued focus on building diverse talent within the industry.
Speaking on the launch, Minister for Financial Services, Insurance and Credit Unions at the Department of Finance, Sean Fleming T.D. said: “I want to thank the 30% Club for delivering the Career Less Ordinary initiative. One of my key priorities as Minister is developing a diverse pool of highly skilled workers for the Irish financial services sector.
‘Resilient, dynamic’
“International Financial Services in Ireland is an important pillar of the Irish economy and one that is both resilient and dynamic. I am confident it will continue to create a greater range of opportunities for people in every region across country. I welcome the initiative as an important step in raising awareness among younger people of the potential opportunities that a career in financial services can offer them.”
