Custom Tech Academy: Talent Development for an International Insurance Leader

In a market where tech talent is increasingly scarce, developing the right people is just as important as choosing the right solutions. This is the premise behind our Custom Tech Academy, a joint initiative by Aubay and a leading international insurance company, designed to build critical capabilities and ensure technical knowledge stays within client teams.

It all started with a shared challenge. The company's teams, spread across multiple geographies and responsible for complex technology solutions, faced the impact of specialized profile shortages and natural turnover in a fast-moving sector. The risk was clear: losing valuable knowledge and compromising operational continuity.

Aubay was tasked with designing a practical response, creating technical redundancy, preparing new generations of niche technology specialists, and safeguarding business continuity without sacrificing team flexibility.

"More than simply reinforcing teams, we wanted to ensure know-how stays within the organization by training people capable of growing into roles of greater responsibility." Diogo Fernandes, Technical Lead, Aubay Academy

The Custom Tech Academy operates as a true talent workshop. Hosted at Aubay's facilities, the programme combines intensive training, continuous mentoring, and gradual integration into real projects, functioning as a "knowledge lab" tailored to client needs.

The process begins before day one. All applications undergo internal screening by Aubay's team, selecting candidates with the ideal balance of strong technical foundations in SQL and programming logic alongside essential soft skills. From 70-80 applicants, only top profiles advance.

Initial weeks feature classroom-style learning where theory and practice converge, always aligned with client-specific needs. Building on experience from previous cohorts, internal trainers (including Aubay consultants familiar with the program) deliver content they know intimately.

Practical exposure starts early, immersing trainees in the client's real-world environment, challenges, and work dynamics to accelerate adaptation and build relevant context.

Results speak volumes. Over five years more than 95% of participants successfully completed the program, with many integrating directly into client teams. Standout stories include Rafaela, who progressed from trainee to Technical Lead Data Integration.

"The Academy was crucial as my first professional step. It offered structured market entry with support to build confidence in my skills. I learned daily tools in a safe, relaxed environment free from failure fears, backed by experienced colleagues. The technical foundation and guidance were essential for growth. Joining real teams, I felt prepared and confident, enabling rapid evolution and career progression.”

Rafaela, former trainee, now Team Leader

For the client, this model delivers low contractual risk and strong strategic returns. Scalable investment, flexible format, and talent testing before long-term commitments suit regulated sectors with strict outsourcing policies enabling controlled, human-centered innovation.

Structured onboarding with key-topic pre-training, delivered by context-aware consultants, ensures practical, realistic preparation. Early real-scenario exposure helps trainees grasp the environment, challenges, and workflows swiftly.

Clients gain smoother integration, reduced misalignment risk, faster trainee progression, and cohort-to-cohort consistency, enhancing integration quality and experience.

For Aubay, the Academy became a living lab for continuous improvement. Each iteration refines recruitment, training models, and methodologies, solidifying our role as a strategic partner in client-specific tech talent creation.

Close collaboration aligns content, methods, and development paths to team pace and needs, delivering trainees with technical skills and business context ready.

"The Academy exemplifies client-partner synergy toward one goal: future-ready talent." Program Sponsor

Today, this Custom Tech Academy transcends a program, it's a tale of trust, collaboration, and vision. Proof that investing in the right people lets technology thrive.

Aubay Portugal expands this model to banking, utilities, and telecom clients, adapting our philosophy of proximity, technical rigour, and shared growth.

Considering team know-how reinforcement via custom training? This Academy demonstrates structure, guidance, and real results.

At Aubay, we help leading organizations build technology academies tailored to their teams and challenges. Ready to make talent development your competitive edge?

Contact us. Your next success story starts here.