CompareNI fintech scholarship to give boost to booming Northern Ireland industry

Ahead of applications opening for the scholarship programme, the company has asked Northern Irish students about their university experience and their perception of the fintech sector.

The survey carried out by CompareNI.com found that a massive 80% of NI students have never considered a career in the fintech sector, despite it contributing £392 million to the economy, with the potential to create thousands of jobs and generate over £25 million in foreign direct investment for Northern Ireland in a matter of years.

52% of those surveyed said that this was due to a lack of education and awareness about the fintech sector and what it entails.

A further 25.5% of students surveyed said that they had not considered a job in fintech due to a lack of relevant experience and 31% of students surveyed said that gaining relevant experience was the biggest pressure they faced in higher education.

The CompareNI fintech scholarship aims to help increase awareness about the sector in NI by asking students to explore what the fintech sector could potentially offer them as a career and enter a short blog or vlog post on what the next generation see as the future of fintech.

As the industry in NI faces a massive talent shortage, the scholarship aims to attract a diverse range of students from across the academic syllabus, who may have never considered a career in the sector.

The successful candidate will receive a £1,000 bursary which can be used to cover part of the cost of their studies, course materials or any other living expenses as well as the option to take part in industry related work experience at CompareNI.com.

Managing director of CompareNI.com Ian Wilson, said: “Fintech is a booming industry in NI, which contributes millions to our economy each year and has the potential to create thousands of jobs. Despite this, there is a large talent shortage and a lack of awareness around the sector, as reflected in our survey results .

“The fintech sector in NI offers great prospects for graduates from all industry backgrounds, not only do we want to demonstrate the potential in this but we also want to provide the winning student with real hands on career experience to discover what it would be like to work in such a flourishing sector.

“We need bright young talent from across the curriculum in NI to fill these roles and create teams with diverse skillsets - creating pivotal change and driving innovation within the sector. I would strongly encourage students from across NI to explore fintech and apply for this opportunity.”

Last year’s winner, Kenna White, an environmental science student from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, wrote an intuitive piece, entitled Bitcoin’s Environmental Parlay – touching on the sustainability factors influencing the fintech sector.

The deadline to enter the CompareNI Fintech Scholarship is March 30 2023.

CompareNI.com is NI’s largest price comparison website and has helped over 650,000 users find savings on essentials and everyday household bills such as car insurance and home insurance.