Apprenticeship ยท Level 8 ยท Finance

International Financial Services Specialist

This programme is for people already working or qualified in the area, not usually school leavers.

This two-year apprenticeship trains you in data analytics, fintech and regtech for international financial services. It suits people who like numbers, data and reports.

How apprenticeships work: you are hired by an approved employer and paid while you learn, mixing work with blocks of training in a college or training centre. You don't apply through the CAO and you don't need CAO points.

Key facts

How long
2 years
Award
QQI Level 8 Higher Diploma in Financial Services Analytics
Where you train
  • National College of Ireland (co-ordinating provider)
Pay
Salary from your employer while training on-the-job and off-the-job (rate agreed with employer)
Costs
Student contribution payable to the higher education institution over the two years (amount not stated on the page)

Entry requirements

  • Must be hired by an approved employer
  • Full eligibility criteria are on the International Financial Services Apprenticeships website

How to apply

You must be hired by an approved employer. You can register your interest online on the International Financial Services Apprenticeships website, or contact Financial Services Ireland.

Apply online (IFS Apprenticeships) โ†— Official page on apprenticeship.ie โ†—

What you'll learn

  • Collect, organise and migrate data between systems
  • Run routine statistical analyses
  • Find and fix data problems
  • Build performance dashboards and reports
  • Use data mining and forecasting to spot trends

Where it can lead

  • International financial services specialist in financial services and professional services companies
  • Data analyst, fintech or regtech roles

Useful Leaving Cert subjects

Accounting, Business, Economics, Computer Science

These help with the content of the programme; they are not entry requirements unless listed above.

Other Finance apprenticeships

Tertiary degrees in Business and Information

Not sure which route suits you?

Our CAO Interest Test matches you to course areas, and now shows apprenticeships and tertiary degrees in your strongest areas too.

Take the CAO Interest Test โ†’ Try the free 3-minute test

Information from apprenticeship.ie, checked November 2026. Details can change, so always confirm on the official page before applying.