It’s time for the sixth edition of the Finance Academy! A 16-weeks training programme for financial talents with a refugee background. This year it is organised by EY, Achmea, Triodos Bank and Refugee Talent Hub. So, are you passionate about finance? Would you like to attend many useful finance workshops and increase your chances on the job market? Please sign up before 28 August!

About the Finance Academy 2025
This programme will increase your professional network in the Netherlands and it will increase your hard- and soft skills, relevant to working in Finance in the Netherlands. Participating organisations will organise a total of 8 training sessions covering (the basis of):

• Identifying and solving problems using Lean, Agile, and Power BI.
• Capital Markets & Reinsurance
• Sustainable Finance; finance which contributes to building the society that allows people to live prosperous lives on a thriving planet.

Recruiters from EY, Achmea and Triodos will be available for one entire day, to discuss the challenges you face in finding a job. They will give you tips and tricks to overcome these. Last but not least you will receive individual coaching from a mentor (a business professional of one of the participating partners) during the full duration of the programme.

At the end of the programme, you should feel confident to apply for a job in the Netherlands that suits you! For inspiration, see the video of last year’s edition.

Who are we looking for?

Previous editions from the Finance Academy have shown that people who meet the following requirements will benefit the most from this programme. 

Therefore, we are looking for motivated talents who:

• Are actively looking for a job within Finance;
• Are passionate about Finance; preferably about (some of) the specific topics the programme covers;
• Have (some) work experience in Finance; again; preferably regarding (some of) the topics the programme covers;
• Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in (or closely related to) Finance; for example in accounting / finance / risk management/ insurance; 
• Are proficient in English on a professional level (Level B2 and up). The whole programme is in English so this is a definite must-have!  If you also speak Dutch, that is a plus.
• Are a statusholder (have a residence permit in the Netherlands)
• Are eager to learn and open for feedback. Note that a strong internal motivation is the key to success in this programme.
• Are available to attend all the mandatory events (for dates, see below).

Note: The travel costs are (partly) covered.

Important data:

If you apply, we expect you to attend ALL events below. Please make sure you are available on all these dates:

• Information session: Tuesday 30 September, 13.00 - 14.00 (online). Selected candidates will participate in an information session where they will get more in-depth information about the programme.
• Kick-off: Thursday 9 October, 15.00-18.00 (live, Amsterdam). During the festive kick-off, you will meet your mentor, and together you’ll make a start with the programme.  
• Check-ins mentees: From 30 October to 11 December, three times on a Thursday. The exact date and time will be shared via Google Form. These check-ins are intended to share your experiences and questions with your fellow candidates under the guidance of Refugee Talent Hub.
• Financial hard skills sessions: From 14 October to 16 December every Tuesday afternoon from 13.00 - 17.00 (live at partner’s office).
• Job Application Skills Training: Full-day session on Tuesday 4 November, 10.00 - 17.00 (live at partner’s office).
• Closing event: Thursday 13 January, 15.00-18.00 (live, Amsterdam). 

Selection and process
For this programme a selection will take place. There are limited spots available. Only candidates who have not participated in a previous Finance Academy can apply. A maximum total of 20 talents will be selected to participate. 

The deadline for the registration is: August 28, 2025 but if we have sufficient applications before the deadline, we will close the registration early! Please do not forget to add your CV to your profile. 

After you have applied and if you meet the criteria, we will ask you for more information by Google Forms based on which we will make the selection. We therefore advise you to give time and consideration when filling this out. 

About the participating companies

EY
EY’s purpose is: Building a better working world. By this we mean that we not only want to contribute to the business of our customers, but also to the role they play in their environment and thus to a better functioning world. We do this mainly by asking the right questions (we call them ‘Better questions’): Because the better the question, the better the answer. And the better the answer, the better the world will work. Every EY employee - at every place in our organization - plays a role.

In a world changing faster than ever, our purpose is the compass on which our organization of more than 300,000 people navigates, providing context and meaning to our daily work. We help digital pioneers combat data piracy; guide governments through cash flow crises; unlock new medical treatments with data analytics; and pursue high-quality audits to build trust in financial markets and business. In other words, we work with entrepreneurs, businesses and even at the country level to solve our clients’ most pressing challenges.

We deploy our four integrated service lines - Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax to help our clients capitalize on new opportunities, assessing the risks associated with responsible growth.

Achmea
Achmea is one of the largest financial service providers and one of the largest insurers in the Netherlands, and their motto is Sustainable Living Together. Together with its customers, strategic partners and other relations, it solves major societal issues related to health, living & working, mobility and income. In this way, it creates sustainable value for its customers, its employees, its company and the society. Previous generations could count on Achmea. Future generations can do the same. Achmea employees work from home and from their office locations. These are in Leeuwarden, Apeldoorn, Zeist, Amsterdam, Leiden and Tilburg.

Triodos
Triodos Bank is in business to help create a society that protects and promotes the quality of life of all its members, and that has human dignity at its core. Since 1980, we have enabled individuals, organisations and businesses to use their money in ways that benefit people and the environment. We promote sustainable development by offering our customers sustainable financial products and high quality service. We are a certified B Corp since 2015. B Corp is a growing global community of successful and sustainable companies that create positive social impact and change.

We are also one of the founders of The Global Alliance for Banking on Values, a global network of independent banks using finance to deliver sustainable economic, social, and environmental development.