Building futures through Job Start: the first 25 commence their AI Marketing trainee programme.

At iPayPDQ, growth has never been just about technology or global reach — it has always been about people.

This month marks a major milestone for our organisation as we welcomed 25 AI Marketing Trainees into our Belfast and Lisnaskea operations through the Department for Communities’ JobStart Scheme. These are not short-term placements or observational roles. They are structured, performance-led career pathways designed to move participants into full-time positions within our business.

And this is only the beginning.

From Opportunity to Employment

JobStart is at its most powerful when it connects ambition with real commercial environments. From day one, our new trainees are working inside a live fintech operation where they are:

• building real acquisition campaigns

• generating measurable commercial pipeline

• learning to deploy AI in practical marketing workflows

• working to daily performance targets

This approach ensures that participants do not simply gain experience — they gain capability, confidence and employability.

Our objective is clear:

every trainee who successfully completes the programme moves into a permanent role within the iPayPDQ Group.

Why This Matters for Northern Ireland

Programmes like JobStart are not just employment initiatives — they are economic catalysts.

By creating 25 new structured career pathways in high-growth sectors such as AI, digital marketing and fintech, this intake is:

• strengthening local skills in future-facing industries

• supporting long-term employment rather than short-term placements

• enabling talent to build careers without leaving Northern Ireland

• contributing to regional economic growth

For us, investing in local talent is not a corporate responsibility exercise — it is a core part of how we scale sustainably across the UK and our international markets.

A Real Talent Pipeline — Not a Recruitment Exercise

Traditional hiring carries risk. Our academy model removes that risk by:

• training people in our systems and culture from day one

• measuring performance in a live environment

• promoting based on output and progression

This creates a continuous pipeline of high-performing, fully embedded team members who are ready to step into permanent roles.

It is a long-term workforce strategy, not a short-term solution.

Partnership in Action

We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to the Department for Communities and the JobStart team for their support in making this possible.

Their work enables businesses like ours to:

• invest at scale

• create real career pathways

• accelerate skills development in emerging sectors

The collaboration between public sector support and private sector delivery is what turns opportunity into measurable outcomes.

The Next 25

The success of this intake means one thing:

Recruitment for our next 25 AI Marketing Trainees is now underway.

Our commitment is to continue:

• creating full-time career opportunities

• expanding our in-house training academy

• building the next generation of digital and fintech professionals in Northern Ireland

Looking Ahead

The future of work will belong to organisations that build their own talent, invest in skills and create clear progression routes.

Through JobStart, we are doing exactly that.

And for 25 new trainees, that future has already begun.