IT recruitment firm FDM Group has opened a new training academy in the City of London, which will help boost the numbers going through its Mounties programme.

Mounties train in skills such as Sun Microsystems Java or Microsoft .NET. This enables them to find positions with FDM clients. More than 1,000 people have graduated from FDM's training academies. Most work off their training fees, although those who leave before doing so have to pay up to £20,000. FDM said its trading remains strong, with demand for IT contractors and Mounties "as robust as ever".

The company said it had a strong pipeline of new business prospects and has recently won new clients, including Lloyds Register, Monster and Nomura. It added: "The booming financial services sector has enabled the UK to cross-sell Mounties to Mainland Europe and the USA with Deutsche Bank, HSBC, ABM Amro and Commerzbank."