Event featured keynote from SAS and a special session by AIB
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Image: UCD
While demand for AI expertise is soaring, employers are not just seeking graduates with technical know-how. This issue was highlighted at the recent University College Dublin (UCD) Talent Connection event, which brought together around 60 students, together with industry leaders and technology experts to explore the transformative impact of AI on Ireland’s economy.
The event featured a keynote from SAS and a special session by AIB, who demonstrated how AI and advanced analytics are reshaping the financial sector. Attendees learned how AI is not only revolutionising risk management and decision-making but also creating new career pathways for graduates.
AIB shared how graduates are central to building robust, compliant, and innovative risk models using SAS. The team outlined a comprehensive graduate training pathway, including structures courses and advanced modules in data analysis, machine learning and model governance; project experience and mentorship; and opportunities to contribute to enterprise-wide modelling and the integration of open source tools like Python and R.
Stephen Dicker, risk integration manager at AIB, said: “We believe that graduates with strong analytical and AI skills are vital to our mission of building a sustainable, data-driven future. Through our comprehensive training pathways and hands-on project experience, we empower new talent to develop, validate, and deploy models that support strategic decision-making and regulatory compliance.”
Jean de Villiers, head of analytics at SAS Ireland, said: “There is a huge economic opportunity given Ireland’s AI maturity and data infrastructure, with AI and analytics skills in high demand across sectors, especially in finance, where they underpin risk management, regulatory reporting, and strategic growth. However, while there are exceptional opportunities for graduates to shape the future of business and society, there is a need for structured training and hands-on experience of real-world projects to accelerate career readiness and professional growth.”
Director of the Advance Centre at UCD Dr Barry Twomey said: “The UCD Talent Connection event underscored the importance of collaboration between academia and industry. Graduates who master AI and analytics are uniquely positioned to help Irish organisations harness the full potential of data, drive innovation, and meet evolving regulatory standards. However, we need to continue to develop the connections with industry and the acquiring of industry-specific expertise so they can put their AI skills into practice.”
TechCentral Reporters