Claire Gillespie, Digital Technology Skills Manager at Skills Development Scotland, recently explained that apprenticeships or training programs can really help the Fintech sector with making a recovery and also substantial progress after the pandemic has passed (even though it’s still not clear if/when this will happen).
The COVID-19 crisis has forced many companies to re-evaluate their business strategies. Many more individual consumers and companies are conducting transactions online because physical business locations had been shut down due to nationwide lockdowns in many countries throughout the world.
Gillespie tells DIGIT:
“Despite the many economic and (and health) challenges, the tech industry – and fintech in particular – remains relatively resilient and employers are still looking to recruit. But what might get lost during the current crisis is the need to attract new entrants into the industry, and the provision of the training and support they need to help us – and you – fill the skills gap in tech.”
She added:
“While we understand that employing and training new starts can sometimes be time-consuming and costly, apprenticeships offer an ideal solution. You get passionate and motivated talent who bring fresh eyes and energy to your business, and they essentially hit the ground running, contributing to your bottom line from day one as they put into practice what they learn.”
Gillespie explains that training programs can be for everyone, not just for people starting out their careers. She also notes that work-based learning programs may be good for upskilling or reskilling staff members who have already been working at a company for a long time. She also mentions that if job requirements change, then an appropriate technology apprenticeship can help with reskilling experienced professionals.
She further noted that the Coronavirus crisis has created new challenges and she thinks that the technology sector has the potential to respond effectively. She pointed out that the “No One Left Behind” digital campaign and Scotland’s Tech Army are both good examples of initiatives that can help train professionals for jobs of the future.
Gillespie confirmed that her organization is offering graduate-level apprenticeship programs in Cybersecurity, Data Science, IT (Software Development and other areas), Digital Applications, Data Analysis, among others.
As reported recently, a Chartered Fintech Professional Qualification will be offered to financial tech employees working in China and Singapore.