Initiative to Bridge Fintech Talent Gap Supported by Industry and 52 UK Universities
Spotcap today announced Jack Culpan, MSc student at the University of Exeter, as the winner of the Fintech Fellowship 2019. Running for its third consecutive year, the Fellowship awards one UK-based masters or MBA student with an £8k scholarship. The initiative aims to plug the fintech skills gap by supporting aspiring talent and raising awareness of career opportunities in the field. Spotcap received a record number of 85 applications this year.
A recent census of over 220 UK fintech firms by EY and Innovate Finance highlighted the sector as continuing to attract rising levels of investment, despite global economic uncertainty. That said, the report also highlighted several major barriers to growth, including talent, with over half of the respondents stating recruitment as a key challenge.
The first of its kind, the Fintech Fellowship aims to narrow the talent gap by encouraging aspiring talent like Jack to pursue their interest in financial technology. A record of fifty two universities backed the initiative this year, sharing information about the fellowship and career opportunities in fintech with their incoming classes.
A recent graduate from Lancaster University in Management & Information Technology, Jack will use the scholarship to support his MSc in Advanced Computer Science with Business at the University of Exeter. Since a young age, Jack has had a strong interest in technology, founding a tech-for-good start-up called Sponsor My Society, with previous work experience at NorthInvest, a technology investment platform, and Parisian fintech Lydia.
Commenting on the win, Jack says, “I honestly can’t put into words how grateful I am to be the winning recipient of the Spotcap Fintech Fellowship. Fintech has always been a key interest of mine, and winning this award will help me amplify my passion to work within the field upon graduation. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Spotcap and the judges for this fantastic opportunity, it means the world!”
“Jack’s enthusiasm and fintech experience really convinced us and we congratulate him wholeheartedly,” says Niels Turfboer, Managing Director at Spotcap, and member of the Fintech Fellowship judging panel. “The fintech skills gap is real. Industry, academia and government all need to take action. If each organisation and company develops their own ideas to address this issue, the fintech talent pipeline will be much stronger.”
Additional members of the Spotcap Fintech Fellowship judging panel include the following industry experts:
- Emily Nicolle, Technology Editor at City AM
- Sarah Kocianski, Head Of Research at 11:FS
- Julian Wells, Director at Whitecap Consulting and Fintech North
- Ina Yulo, Fintech Marketing Mentor
To read more about the UK Fellowship, visit the dedicated site: https://www.spotcap.co.uk/fintech-fellowship/
Originally published September 30 2019 , updated February 24 2020
