Students in Rochdale encouraged to apply for new fintech scholarship

Quotezone Fintech Scholarship

A British technology company is encouraging higher education students in Rochdale to apply for its new fintech scholarship…provided they are studying something other than finance or computer science.

The fintech firm’s contrarian approach to fostering greater diversity in fintech has been hailed by leading academics, politicians and business leaders.

NB Pedersen, FinTech Programme Leader at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “FinTech is a diverse and growing sector which is open to people from all backgrounds. No matter who you are, if you have a big idea and combine this with grit and passion, the sky is the limit.”

Chris Ivory, Professor of Technology and Organisation at Lord Ashcroft International Business School, said: “This scholarship underlines the increasing realisation that the future competitive advantage of digital technology lies with people not technology. Those industries, sectors and nations that prosper are those that fully recognise that the real value-added of technology lies in how it is integrated with new work, skills, roles and organisational forms”.

Daniel Broby, Course Director, MSc Fintech, Strathclyde Business School, agreed: "Initiatives like this are exactly what the Fintech sector needs.  The financial sector is being reinvented and we need bright students to think out of the box.  In this respect, diversity of backgrounds is a proven recipe for success." 

Greg Wilson, the fintech entrepreneur behind Quotezone.co.uk, had this to say about the company’s new Fintech Scholarship: “Talented graduates are the lifeblood of the fintech sector, but our industry faces a looming talent shortage in the not-too-distant future.

“As an established player in this sector, Quotezone.co.uk is keen to connect with students that may never have considered a career in fintech, and encourage them to explore how they can be part of this dynamic, fast-growing industry no matter what degree they’re currently working towards.

“While tech companies like ours continue to need computer scientists, and many financial services companies depend on finance graduates, the fintech sector also has a lot to gain from attracting a diversity of other skillsets to the industry, whether that’s law students, liberal arts majors, engineers, philosophy scholars or life scientists.

“In fact, although I’m the CEO of one of the UK’s leading financial comparison platforms I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, which many of today’s university students might not view as a typical entry point to a successful career in fintech. That’s why our new scholarship programme is specifically designed for students that may never have considered a career in this sector.”

Supporting Wilson’s assertion about a looming talent shortage, data from a wide range of research firms and government agencies, including the Department for Education, suggests the talent shortage is the single biggest concern for senior leaders in the financial services industry.

“The financial services industry has a lot to offer graduates,” Greg Wilson added. “But we need to demonstrate that our industry cares about these young professionals and is committed to advancing their careers, no matter which degree programme they complete.”

The deadline to apply for Quotezone.co.uk’s Fintech Scholarship is Thursday 28th March 2019, and full details of how to apply are available here:

• www.quotezone.co.uk/fintech-scholarship.htm