Fintech Fellowship open for applications – addressing skills gap
Online lender Spotcap has opened its Fintech Fellowship programme to applicants, which offers an £8,000 award to a postgraduate student studying a fintech-related course at a UK university.
The fellowship is now in its second year. Last year, 42 universities from across the UK supported the programme.
Fintech Fellowship 2018/19:
Deadline: 1 August 2018, 12pm BST
Amount: £8,000 towards the cost of a master’s degree or MBA at a UK university
Course start: September/October 2018
Host institution: Any accredited UK university
Field of study: Fintech related fields (e.g. business management, engineering, finance, fintech, economics, product design, computing)
How to apply: CV and cover letter answering the following question: What sparked your interest in fintech? Applicants can submit a written response (up to 500 words) or upload a short video (up to three minutes).
Applicant criteria: British citizen or resident. Must hold an offer of admission to a masters or MBA programme at an accredited British university starting in autumn 2018.
Judging panel:
- Marilena Ioannidou, director and team lead on fintech investments, British Business Investment;
- Stephen Ingledew, chief executive, FinTech Scotland;
- Elizabeth Lumley, global fintech commentator and advisor;
- Tanya Andreasyan, editor-in-chief, FinTech Futures;
- Niels Turfboer, managing director, Spotcap.
Click here for more information and to apply.
The fintech industry is the fastest growing sector in the UK with higher than average growth expected; however, finding the right talent can be challenging. The UK Fintech Census 2017, commissioned by HM Treasury, found that 58% of respondents considered attracting suitable and qualified talent as one of their top three challenges. Access to coding and software skills was of particular concern, the census found.
“The possibility that access to skilled workers from Europe will be reduced after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, has put talent on everyone’s radar,” observes Spotcap’s Turfboer. “The fintech sector, academia and the government are all trying to find ways to plug the growing skills gap, but we can achieve more if everyone collaborates with each other.”
FinTech Futures’ Andreasyan adds: “Everything is speeding up, technology is making such huge strides forward. We have to make sure the industry keeps up with the times and the pace of change, and it’s great that initiatives such as the Fintech Fellowship strive to address the issue! Without the right talent, we won’t be able to progress – it’s simple as that.”
