BeCode BeCode

For KPMG in Belgium learning and development is one of the focus points in Our Impact Plan. We work with the wider community to offer innovative coaching, mentoring and training programs. We also participate in global partnerships that help build skills, knowledge and progress across a lifetime. By embracing our role as educators, we are making an important impact on society.

In 2019, the first AI school in Belgium was launched in Brussels as a joint initiative by BeCode, Microsoft and five founding partners; Cronos Groep, Delaware, Faktion, KPMG and Xylos.

As one of the founding partners, we are proud that we are helping to tackle an acute shortage of AI experts in Belgium. We recognize that the skills and knowledge needed to work in an increasingly digital economy are changing. That’s why this initiative is open to everyone, including people who are currently under-represented in the labour market and who may be facing any number of challenges finding work. No matter your background or employment history, BeCode offers a chance for motivated people to learn digital skills that can lead to exciting career paths in the growing AI sector.

As part of the training, KPMG Lighthouse provides challenging and relevant data science cases. During these cases, BeCode students have the opportunity to tackle these challenges in group, guided by our AI experts. In addition, we offer the students a three-month internship at KPMG: an excellent opportunity to gain real experience and to explore challenging topics. Discover our interns’ experiences in the video below.

In recent years, KPMG has already welcomed BeCode students to our Brussels and Antwerp offices, where they tackled diverse projects, such as appropriately using geographical LIDAR data from an insurance perspective, and cooperating with KPMG Law to develop intelligent document processing solutions.

Two BeCode students that did their internship at KPMG, Guiliano and Xavier, were hired as a direct result of participating in the programme. Guillano was hired at KPMG and currently works on Intelligent Automation as part of our Lighthouse team. Meanwhile Xavier’s experience with BeCode and KPMG gave him broader insights that helped him to organize better courses for BeCode students. Inspired by the opportunities offered by this partnership, he returned to BeCode as a coach to share his experiences with new groups of aspiring AI and data scientists.

Building on the success of the programme to date, BeCode students will tackle two more data science cases in 2021 and will have opportunities to pursue internships to apply their skills to professional projects.