Industry Comes Together to Plug the Fintech Talent Gap
Fintech and other financial services firms must work harder to be able to secure the skills they need for the future. That is one of the main findings from a recent report from TheCityUK and recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson.
At a time where graduates with fintech expertise are increasingly in need, the Spotcap Fintech Fellowship programme offers young talent the opportunity to pursue studies in fintech. Now in its third year, the Fellowship offers an £8k award to one postgraduate student studying a fintech related course at a UK university. Applications open today and close on August 15, 2019.
“The fintech industry is worth £7bn to the UK economy and there is a lot of talk about the flourishing fintech sector without acknowledging the elephant in the room — the growing skills gap,” says Niels Turfboer, Managing Director of Spotcap. “The Fintech Fellowship aims to support industry efforts to plug this gap by raising awareness of the issue and encouraging other stakeholders in the industry to get involved and to help attract the right talent.”
Charlotte Crosswell, CEO of Innovate Finance, comments on the launch: “Fintech is one of the UK’s fast-growing industries and one where we hold a strong competitive advantage. Success is however heavily dependent on talent, which is in short supply both domestically and globally. It is vital that we ensure we are inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators, and equipping them with the skills they will need to succeed.”
Previous Fellowship Winners
Previous winners of the Fintech Fellowship include Mohammed Hussan, who – after his successful completion of an MSc in Computer Science at Imperial College London – co-founded Tru-Source, which automates blockchain oracle development. He comments: “The Fellowship helped improve my network and opened up opportunities to work with knowledgeable and talented people in the space.”
Sophie Peacock, last year’s winner, is currently completing a MSc in Data Science and Machine Learning at University College London. “The Fintech Fellowship enabled me to do a MSc in Machine Learning and to gain the technical skills and knowledge necessary for a career in fintech. I would strongly encourage anyone studying a fintech related masters course to apply!”
The 2019 Judging Panel
Every year, a selected number of key industry leaders and fintech experts come together and join the Fintech Fellowship’s judging panel. For 2019, Spotcap is delighted to welcome:
- Greg Michel, Head of Sectors (Fintech, Cybersecurity and Applied AI) at Tech Nation
- Julian Wells, Director at Whitecap Consulting & Fintech North
- Emily Nicolle, Technology Editor at City AM
- Sarah Kocianski, Head Of Research at 11:FS
- Ina Yulo, Global Head of Fintech & Financial Services at BrightTALK
- Niels Turfboer, Managing Director at Spotcap
For more details on the fellowship and how to apply, visit: https://www.spotcap.co.uk/fintech-fellowship/.
Quotes from Members of the Judging Panel:
Greg Michel, Head of Sectors (Fintech, Cybersecurity and Applied AI) at Tech Nation: “The best companies are built by the best people. It is crucial that we carry on investing in talent if we want to retain the lead in fintech globally. The Fintech Fellowship is a fantastic way to showcase and reward exceptional potential.”
Julian Wells, Director at Whitecap Consulting and Fintech North: “There are many hotly debated topics in fintech, but none more so than the importance of an appropriately skilled workforce. This is probably the most critical area where the public, private and higher education sectors need to work together across the UK.”
Emily Nicolle, Technology Editor at City AM: “Fintech is the fastest growing sector of the UK economy, with its companies increasing their reach all over the globe. Young, diverse and highly-skilled talent is of the utmost importance for fintech to succeed and stay ahead of the game.”
Sarah Kocianski, Head Of Research at 11:FS: “Fintech is still very much a nascent industry and to ensure it can continue to grow, we need to encourage a diverse range of brilliant minds to join us so it can reach its full potential.”
Ina Yulo, Global Head of Fintech & Financial Services at BrightTALK: “The Fintech industry is an exciting place to be, whether you are a marketer, in a technology-focussed role, or are a financial services professional. Ensuring we attract the best talent with a diverse set of skills is integral to the continuous development of the industry.”
Media Assets
Multimedia assets to accompany this story are available for download via Dropbox.
Originally published April 29 2019 , updated February 24 2020
