Delivering the next generation of financial services professionals in Wales

The rise of Wales’ financial services sector is set to accelerate in 2021, as a collaboration between the University of Gloucestershire and the Welsh Financial Services Graduate Programme will present the country’s top graduates with vital skills to launch impactful careers.     

Building on expertise in working with the Financial Services Industry, the University of Gloucestershire has won a competitive tender to provide a Masters in Applied Financial Services qualification for the Welsh Contact Centre Forum as part of the Welsh Financial Services Graduate Programme.

The programme, unique to Wales, is a collaborative talent initiative delivered in partnership between leading financial services employers, the University of Gloucestershire and the Welsh Contact Centre Forum and is, in part, funded by the European Social Fund.

The innovative MSc Applied Financial Services is an integral part of the graduate programme. The programme will be designed and delivered in collaboration with the consortium of leading financial services employers, ensuring the programme is highly applied and relevant to the needs of industry.

Sandra Busby, Managing Director of the Welsh Contact Centre Forum, said: “Our Programme exists to ensure that Wales’ financial services sector can access elite calibre graduates, with the acumen, skills, and training to accelerate the development of industry-leading products and services.

“Our continued successes are founded on ensuring that graduates, and their placement employers, benefit from the highest standards of academic instruction and assessment. With the support of the University of Gloucestershire, I am sure that our latest cohort will continue to drive Wales towards its goal of rivalling the UK’s long-established financial hubs.”

Employers participating in the programme include Admiral Group, Atradius, Development Bank of Wales, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Monmouthshire Building Society, Principality Building Society, Vauxhall Finance, Motonovo, Legal & General, Optimum Credit, Propel Finance and Hodge Bank.

As part of the two-year programme, graduates will undertake at least three placements within organisations who are part of the scheme – enabling them to sample a portfolio of career paths within the industry, develop a wide range of business essential skills and gain extraordinary levels of experience.

Dr Dom Page, Head of the Business School, University of Gloucestershire said:

“We will be delivering an important two-year applied MSc programme, which will equip graduates to make a significant impact within the financial services industry. Running since 2013, the programme has already trained over 165 graduates, and the University of Gloucestershire is delighted to be launching the next stage of the programme in September 2021.”

Clair Vincent, Course Leader for the MSc Applied Financial Services Management said: “This is an excellent time to make a move into the financial services profession or to move up the ranks. In the ‘new norm’ change is constant and we need the very best professionals to keep organisations moving and innovating.”

Also in September 2021, the University of Gloucestershire will launch a new MBA Global Business Administration (Financial Services Management).