A student studying at City University London has won a fintech scholarship after a blog competition about issues students face in higher education.
Sabrina Abdo, a second-year international political economy student, will receive a £1,000 bursary to help her with her studies. As part of her award, Abdo also has the opportunity to participate in an industry-related work experience with the fintech giant, Siuba – The company behind one of the UK’s largest price comparison sites, Quotezone.co.uk.
Abdo’s winning paper focused on the power of fintech adoption and the opportunities available to students who champion it.
The price comparison experts behind the grant say the fintech industry faces three main hurdles. The lack of gender diversity, stringent criteria for graduate jobs, and lack of funding for relevant university courses – all impact career progression.
Historically, the fintech sector has been dominated by men. Women make up just 26% of the UK tech workforce, and only 27% of female students say they would consider a career in tech.*
The FinTech Scholarship hopes to encourage more women to work in STEM careers after graduation.
A recent study conducted by Quotezone.co.uk It found that 73% of students in the UK were shocked by how expensive university was – with 76% needing to work part-time while studying to cover university costs, with more than half of these students, 54%, saying it had affected their studies.
Students are also required to meet more stringent criteria in order to get their first job after graduation. One study revealed that 51.3% of entry-level jobs require prior work experience, requiring an average of 2.7 years.**
With these obstacles in mind, Quotezone.co.uk The Fintech Scholarship is designed to assist students with their finances and provide them with vital work experience, while raising awareness of the wide career opportunities available to graduates in the UK Fintech sector.
Greg WilsonFounder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk He said: “It is not easy for students in the UK at the moment, with limited financial resources and stricter graduate job criteria, it can be difficult for many to get started on the career ladder.
“We want to help alleviate some of this pressure on students while raising awareness of the potential of graduates from all industry backgrounds. The fintech sector has highly competitive starting salaries, strong long-term career prospects and a wide network of opportunities for creative and technology-based skills.
“Congratulations to this year’s winner, Sabrina Abdo from City University of London, who has written a powerful blog, highlighting the limitless possibilities for students who embrace fintech.
“This year’s winners in NI and GB were both women, and it’s great to see female graduates exploring what the world of fintech has to offer. Historically, data shows that the fintech industry struggles to attract female employees with only 28% of the fintech sector in the Kingdom being women.” United – so that’s really encouraging.
“We want to help all students realize their potential and learn about the diverse benefits of life in fintech.”
