Our initiatives

Initiatives that Support the Industry Strategy

We have developed a number of initiatives to support the financial services industry strategy. Many of these are designed to improve knowledge and awareness of career opportunities in financial services. They also encourage suppliers to the industry to take a more focused and integrated approach to develop products and services used by the industry in Scotland and beyond.

Examples of current initiatives include:

Financial Services Tours

This project provides briefing sessions for graduates, career changers and careers advisers in schools, colleges, universities and Job Centre Plus. These tours, which include visits to major employers such as JP Morgan Chase, esure, Royal Bank of Scotland, Intelligent Finance, Dunfermline Building Society and Aegon, aim to increase awareness of:

  • the importance of the financial services sector to the Scottish economy;
  • the range of companies operating in this sector;
  • the skills, attributes and behaviours employers expect from their staff; and
  • the breadth of career opportunities available.

More than 1,200 people have participated in this initiative since its launch in 2003.

University e-Mentoring

This programme aims to attract new graduate recruits into the sector, by making them aware of the job and career prospects available and giving them valuable first-hand experience of working in financial services.

The programme has involved financial services students from Lauder College, Napier University and Glasgow Caledonian University, and provides training and development opportunities for financial services employees. More than 150 students and 150 employees in State Street, Lloyds TSB Scotland and Intelligent Finance have participated in this project.

Supplier Development

This project aims to enhance the capabilities of Scotland’s growing network of specialist suppliers who provide business solutions to financial services companies and to create a supply network which is competitive globally.

The project breaks down into a number of distinct development projects each with its own objectives. These development projects are led by the industry, with individual companies taking responsibility for highlighting issues to participating supply companies.

To date there a have been a number of successful high-level events which have brought together the industry with the supplier network.

More information

To find out more about these initiatives, contact the Financial Services team.