During the pandemic, UK firms have invested considerable sums in their technology as they cater for employees working from home. Data from the Office for National Statistics suggests this trend is continuing as an investment in new technologies is still gaining traction – increasing by more than 7% from Q4 2019 to Q2 2021.
The rapid growth of all things digital is no surprise throughout the pandemic but it does provide real potential for a new generation of digitally savvy graduates entering the growing world of FinTech.
By April 2020, the pandemic had forced almost 1.6 billion children and students out of their schools and universities worldwide – with the number of active users of Google Classroom doubling to 100 million. These children will be the first to have experienced such a technology-savvy education – raising the bar and creating a future generation of school leavers and graduates with high-quality digital skills – ideally suited to a career in the FinTech industry.
Seopa has been supporting UK graduates with its FinTech scholarship programme for higher education students, an initiative that has been specifically designed to help foster greater diversity in the FinTech sector across the UK. The bursary will be awarded to one student from each UK region; Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland – receiving £1,000 each which can be used to cover part of the cost of their studies, course materials or any other living expenses.
Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Seopa, said: “Diversity of talent is key, it builds a more dynamic and innovative team. We want this scholarship to give students the chance to explore their options and understand the potential in FinTech.”
The scholarship aims to encourage students from outside the world of FinTech to explore what the sector could potentially offer them as a career and enter a short blog post on what the next generation sees as the future of FinTech.
Marja Lahelma-Barnsley, Programme Leader for MSc Financial Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “FinTech is reshaping the ways that financial needs are met. Man Met’s FinTech qualifications are built with a recognition that innovation needs new ideas even more than it needs new tech. Positive change is driven by enabling professionals with a range of opinions and experiences to drive the sector. The Quotezone initiative supports the need to help a diverse range of future professionals and entrepreneurs start their journey.”