Digital Skills Academy with Version 1 - Application Form

Overview

Introduction

The Digital Skills Academy with Version 1 is supported by the Department for the Economy and delivered in partnership with Belfast Metropolitan College.

It is an 8-week programme designed to provide graduates with the core skills needed to take up exciting new graduate roles in Version 1. 

Graduates selected to join the programme will receive practical, real world training and have the opportunity to work within Version 1 main product areas, Cloud Services, Digital Services and Application Optimisation.

Training for successful applicants will be delivered using a hybrid approach, both online and classroom.  Successful applicants will require appropriate IT access in order to link to the online tuition.

Successful Academy participants will have the opportunity to study for Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, MTA Software Development Fundamentals in C# and .Net, Cyber Security, Software Testing, Design Thinking and gain a potential offer of employment with Version 1 following a final interview after successfully completing the Academy.

The selection process will entail a number of psychometric evaluations (General Intelligence Assessment, and Personality Profile Analysis), a panel interview, followed by an in-person Assessment Day. Interviews will take place 25^th November to 2^nd December, with successful candidates being offered a place on the academy after the Assessment Day.  

Previous experience is not required but graduates must hold at least a 2.2 degree in any discipline or a level 5 qualification in a STEM related subject. 

For the duration of the programme participants will be paid £180 training allowance and appropriate travel costs for college based training.

The Academy will consist of two cohorts with training commencing  on 19 January 2026 (Group 1) and 2 February 2026 (Group 2) respectively. Training will finish on Friday 13 March 2026 (Group 1), and Friday 27 March 2026 (Group 2).  Applicants must be available for the entirety of the training period.

Any pre-scheduled commitments should be listed at question 24.  Training is 9.00 am – 5.00 pm Monday to Friday for the 8 weeks of the Academy.  While some of the training will be undertaken online, applicants will also be expected to attend in-person training.  Applicants will need to be able to commit to the full-time training as outlined above.

You need to complete all the following questions. If you have any problems, please contact assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk

If offered a place on the academy, you will be asked to provide a copy of your degree certificate. 

Applications are welcome from those who meet the criteria irrespective of religious belief, political opinion, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, marital status, gender, whether or not they have dependents and women returning to the workforce.

Upon successful completion of the Academy, participants will be interviewed by representatives of Version 1 for a job role in the company. 

Do you have a disability and require assistance in completing this form, if so please contact assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk.

Essential Criteria 

Applicants must:

• be at least 18 years old 
• You must have been awarded at least a 2.2 degree in any discipline or a Level 5 qualification in a STEM related subject at the point of application of academy
• have a right to work and to undertake Assured Skills Training in the UK at the point of application and not be disqualified from doing either by reason of their immigration status. Proof of this will be required in order to progress to interview.
• Evidence of these criteria will be required not later than 17 November 2025 if selected for interview

Applicants should be aware that the company may apply additional right to work criteria at point of employment and a job offer is not guaranteed.

Shortlisting Criteria

If a large number of applications are received, Version 1 reserve the right to enhance the minimum criteria, if necessary, to generate a manageable shortlist for interviews.

If living outside Northern Ireland – by accepting an offer of a place on this pre-employment training Academy, you are committing to attending training and pursuing a job opportunity with Version 1 based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Applications Open

Applications are welcome from everyone who meets the essential criteria and are particularly welcome from persons returning to work from a period of caring for their children or other family members.

If you have a disability and require assistance in completing this form please email Assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk or by telephoning 028 9041 6972.

Correspondence Regarding Your Application

All correspondence relating to your application will be via email from assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk. It is your responsibility as applicant to act as required within the given time frame.

Email whitelisting helps ensure that important messages from known senders won’t end up in the spam folder.

To whitelist the assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk email address, you may wish to:

• Open your email client and navigate to the settings.
• Find the option to create a new filter or add a new contact.
• Add the email address assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk as a known contact/safe sender
• Save the changes.

The exact steps may vary depending on the email client you are using.

If you do not receive an email about your application by 18 November please contact assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk and put Digital Skills Academy with Version 1 in the subject line.

To find out how we manage your information please see privacy notice below:

https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/assured-skills-academies-privacy-notice

If you wish to make a complaint about the Assured Skills programme, please email assured.skills@economy-ni.gov.uk or telephone 028 9041 6941.