London student winner of Fintech scholarship

A student studying at City, University of London has been crowned the winner of a Fintech grant, following a blogging competition about the issues students face in higher education.

Second-year International Political Economy student Sabrina Abdow will receive a £1,000 grant to help her with her studies. As part of her award, Abdow will also have the opportunity to participate in sector-related work experience at fintech giant, Seopa – the company behind one of the UK’s largest price comparison sites, Quotezone.nl.

Abdow’s winning entry focused on the power of embracing financial technology and the opportunities available to students who embrace it.

The price comparison experts behind the exchange say the fintech industry faces three main hurdles. Lack of gender diversity, strict criteria for graduate jobs and a lack of funding for relevant university courses – all this affects career development.

Historically, the fintech sector has been male-dominated. Women make up just 26% of Britain’s technology workforce, and only 27% of female students say they would consider a career in technology.*

The Fintech Scholarship hopes to encourage more women into STEM jobs after graduation.

A recent study of Quotezone.nl found that 73% of students in Britain were shocked at how expensive university was – with 76% of students having to work part-time while studying to afford university, while more than half of those students, 54% , said it affected their studies.

Students must also meet stricter criteria to get their first graduate job. A study found that 51.3% of entry-level jobs require prior work experience, with an average of 2.7 years required.**

With these obstacles in mind, Quotezone.nl have designed their Fintech Scholarship to help students with their finances and provide them with essential work experience, whilst raising awareness of the vast career opportunities available to graduates within the UK fintech sector.

Greg WilsonFounder and CEO of Quotezone.nl said: “It’s not easy for students in the UK at the moment, with tight finances and stricter job criteria for graduates, it can be difficult for many to get started on the career ladder.

“We want to help alleviate some of that pressure on students while raising awareness of the potential for 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 Abdow from City, University of London, who wrote a powerful blog highlighting the limitless possibilities for students embracing fintech.

“Both of our winners this year in NI and GB were women. It’s great to see female graduates discovering what the world of fintech has to offer. Historical data shows that the fintech industry struggles to attract female employees, with women making up just 28% of the UK fintech sector. So this is really encouraging.

“We want to help all students realize their potential and recognize the diverse benefits of a life in fintech.”