Supports and scholarships

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Read more about our programmes which qualify for IFS Skillnet financial support.

Funding available through IFS Skillnet

Companies operating within the international financial services sector, or providing services to the sector, can join IFS Skillnet in order for their employees to participate in training which is jointly funded by the companies and the network’s Finuas funding. Grant funding of up to 30% is available to eligible companies.

View the IFS Skillnet Checklist

About IFS Skillnet

IFS Skillnet is co-founded by Skillnet Ireland and member companies. The IFS Skillnet programme is dedicated to providing training and networking opportunities for the international financial services sector.

The Network aims to support the sector in maintaining Ireland's position as a top international financial services centre through investment in the specialist skills and expertise of its workforce. The Network is led by a steering group which includes member companies and the leading financial services industry associations.

Network activity

The IFS Skillnet was established in mid-2009. Since then we have delivered over 2,000 courses to 15,000 plus participants from 430 companies operating in the international financial services sector in Ireland. Courses available include, Digital Financial Services, Regulatory Reporting, International Funds, Business Analysis, Project Management and a wide range of management and leadership skills.


Programme availability 2023-2024

Short programmes:

Professional programmes:

Postgraduate programmes:

Background

Dr. TK Whitaker was one of Ireland’s greatest living Irish people. He was widely considered to be the architect of the modern Irish economy and his seminal 1958 publication Economic Development, known as 'The Grey Book', is widely accepted as a landmark in Irish economic history because of its thought leadership and bold ideas. He was appointed Secretary to the Department of Finance when he was 39 (at that time an exceptionally young age) and went on to become Governor of the Central Bank. Based on the blueprint he had set out, Dr. Whitaker subsequently steered Ireland’s programme of trade liberalisation and structural reform in the 1960s. Economic growth accelerated as a result. In 1973, Ireland acceded to the EU in a process to which he played an instrumental role as Governor of the Central Bank.

Dr. Whitaker had considerable involvement in the fields of education and the arts. He served as Chancellor of the National University of Ireland from 1976 to 1996. He was President of the Royal Irish Academy and a member of the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland, from 1985 to 1987. He also served as first Chairman of the Scholarship Board of the O'Reilly Foundation and first Chairman of the Agency for Personal Service Overseas.

Dr. Whitaker was a member of the IOB since 1985.

Dr. Whitaker was elected as an Honorary Fellow of IOB by the Council of IOB on 4 November 2014.

The scholarship

IOB, with the agreement of Dr. Whitaker, created an annual TK Whitaker Scholarship in recognition of his immense contribution to the state. The Scholarship to a UCD graduate programme (Professional Diploma in Advanced Management Performance or equivalent programme to be decided by IOB) is awarded to the top candidate on the Professional Diploma in Banking, which leads to the Chartered Banker professional designation (for details on the programme click here).

A “TK Whitaker Medal” is also awarded to the candidate. The award is related to the academic year in which the candidate completes the programme.

The Scholarship recognises outstanding academic achievement and the mission of the Scholarship is to develop further the management and leadership capabilities of a future leader in banking. It is awarded at IOB's graduation ceremony each year.


Eligibility

Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Be a current professional member of IOB

  2. Have graduated from the Professional Diploma in Banking (leading to the Chartered Banker professional designation) as follows:

  • Passed each module on first attempt

  • Completed the programme in two consecutive semesters (programme scheduling permitting)

  • Attained an award Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 4.0

  • Not having any exemptions


Selection criteria

The Scholarship is awarded to the candidate who achieves the highest award GPA subject to the following:

  • Where there are candidates with the same Award GPA the top place goes to the candidate with the highest number of Modules at a GPA of 4.2 (A+), if still tied then the candidate with highest number of modules at a GPA of 4.0 (A), and if tied the candidate with the highest number of modules at the next highest grade and so on.

  • If there is still a tie, i.e. the GPA and individual module grades for the programme for two or more candidates are the same, award of the Scholarship will be decided on the basis of submission of an application by each of the tied candidates. Each candidate's application must include:

    • Short essay (approximately 1,000 words) on how the Scholarship will support their educational, professional and personal development.

    • Information on any professional or non-work activities, awards or leadership roles (that support the candidate essay).

    • Two references that can support the submission.

The candidate’s essay should demonstrate:

  • The relation between the Scholarship’s mission and the candidate’s academic, career and personal goals.

  • How the candidate has achieved or plans to achieve their goals.

  • Engagement – activities (either professional or extracurricular) that add to their academic achievements.

  • Leadership – either in professional or non-work pursuits.

  • Sense of purpose – linking direction and career ambitions with understanding of how past experiences and decisions support that sense of purpose.

The selection of the winner will be made by an independent Scholarship Assessment Committee of at least three members drawn from IOB's Education Committee (excluding the candidates’ financial institution) and a senior academic (current or retired), who shall chair the committee.

The Scholarship Assessment Committee will consider:

  • How well the essay makes the connection between the mission of the Scholarship and the candidate’s academic, career, personal interests and/or goals.

  • How well the essay articulates the candidate’s plans to achieve those interests and/or goals.

30% Club Scholarships

IOB is delighted to be partnering with the 30% Club Ireland to offer scholarships for two of our programmes. Each scholarship covers the full cost of registration for the programme. This scholarship is closed for 2023

CIFD Programme

The CIFD Programme is designed for all investment fund directors, or those with extensive asset management or funds experience who aspire to become investment fund directors. It would also be a valuable programme for those operating in director/senior management positions within both fund promoter and service provider organisations, those responsible for the regulation of investment funds and institutional investor personnel responsible for the oversight of investment fund governance frameworks within their portfolio of investment funds.

Level 9 Programmes

IOB is offering the successful applicant the option to choose one of our level 9 programmes:

  • Professional Certificate In Asset Management

  • Professional Certificate in Retirement Planning

  • Professional Certificate for Designated Persons in a Fund Management Company

  • Professional Diploma in Applied Alternative Investments

  • Professional Certificate in Financial Crime Prevention

  • MSc in Compliance

  • Professional Diploma in Advanced Operational Risk Management in Financial Services

  • Professional Diploma in Leading Cultural Change and Ethical Behaviour in Financial Services

  • Professional Diploma in Data and Analytics in Financial Services

  • Professional Diploma in Digital Transformation in Financial Services

  • Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning

  • Professional Diploma in Strategic Management in Financial Services

  • Professional Diploma in Banking