Leading UK fintech company CompareNI.com is calling on students to apply for its latest bursary opportunity ahead of the upcoming April 30 deadline.
Now in its fifth year, the CompareNI Fintech Scholarship is inviting all students in higher education to enter it’s fintech scholarship competition – where one student will win a £1000 bursary and the chance to gain work experience within the world of fintech.
According to a skills barometer at Ulster University, science and technology will see another 10,000 jobs created in the next 10 years.
Despite all the benefits of joining the fintech sector, 76 per cent say they’ve never even considered joining the lucrative industry.
The CompareNI Fintech Scholarship is designed to help counteract this lack of awareness, showing students what this innovative sector has to offer.
Last year’s CompareNI fintech scholarship winner Bronagh Cassidy, an Economics student at the University of Ulster said: “The competition was a great opportunity to discover more about the thriving fintech sector in Northern Ireland and what it means for students. I highly recommend any students with an interest to apply.”
Professor Danielle Mc Wall, University of Ulster Department Head of Accounting, Finance and Economics
University of Ulster Department Head of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Professor Danielle McWall, recognises how the award has helped previous students: “The scholarship competition certainly gave Bronagh the incentive, she has earned an internship with the Strategic Investment Board, then she’s on course for a Masters and hopefully a doctorate.
“I think more and more businesses should be doing something similar, showing an interest in the talent they want to develop for the good of the economy.
“The salaries would be very attractive and it’s a students market in terms of picking the location that they’d like to work in. Northern Ireland is a really good place to invest, it’s highly sought after by fintech companies because of the labour force, the talent pool and the skillset – plus politicians are pushing it as a promising area of growth.
“Students have had a tough time of late, with the National Union of Students research showing that after paying their rent, students only have £100 a month to live on, with the majority having to work a part-time job as well as studying to help make ends meet. The CompareNI Fintech Scholarship offers a stepping stone to support Northern Ireland students.”
Founded by engineer and entrepreneur Greg Wilson in 2003, Seopa, the parent company behind the CompareNI brand, is an early pioneer of online price comparison technology in the UK. CompareNI is now Northern Ireland’s number one price comparison platform.
Greg comments: “It’s been important for us to support local students and show them all the benefits of working in fintech – it’s a fast-paced, innovative sector that embraces all educational fields and offers graduates a wealth of opportunities.
“It’s shocking that not more students are aware of these lucrative careers and the possibilities available to them, it’s one of the reasons we continue to deliver our Fintech Scholarship program, to help students develop a taste for fintech with work experience and some financial support.
“It was interesting to hear the students feedback on how competitive graduate jobs are right now, hopefully the ongoing investment in Northern Ireland as a fintech hub will help ensure there are plenty of opportunities in fintech for future graduates.”
According to recent data, the fintech sector is outpacing other sectors with its drive to recruit. Over a fifth, 21%, of all UK companies currently hiring for tech roles, are fintech firms – onboarding over 2000 new recruits in the last year, illustrating the important role fintech is playing in bolstering economic growth in the UK.
With a deadline of 30 April, the Fintech Scholarship will award the successful applicant a £1000 bursary which the student can use to support their studies or living expenses and the opportunity to take part in work experience in the fintech sector, to help support their recruitment efforts – entry is via a
simple online form.
Main photo caption: Ian Wilson, Managing Director CompareNI, Bronagh Cassidy, 2024 CompareNI Fintech Scholarship winner, Professor Daniel Broby, Chair of Financial Technology at Ulster Business School and Professor Danielle Mc Wall, University of Ulster Department Head of Accounting, Finance and Economics.
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