New government initiative to promote women in STEM

The UK Government is launching a new initiative to encourage women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Currently, only 29% of the STEM workforce is made up women. This new initiative will benefit from £150,000 of Government funding and will be used by Women Returners and STEM Returners to target women who have taken career breaks and promote core skills in an attempt to plug the STEM skills gap.

Joanna Kori, Head of People for fintech firm Encompass Corporation, commented: 

“I am glad to see the Government promoting and providing tangible support to women looking to get into, or return to, STEM careers through investment and skills training. STEM careers are hugely rewarding, yet, as recent figures show, too few women are involved in the sector, and that needs to change. Women are poised to play a crucial role in resolving the skills gap, and it is vital that organisations provide the opportunities and training to empower women and encourage them to pursue a career in STEM. At Encompass, we work hard in this area, providing the balance of both autonomy and support to allow our talented female employees to thrive and be at the centre of the company’s growth.”

Nicola Pickering, VP of Customer Success & Delivery at Encompass Corporation, said: 

“The opportunities and avenues available in STEM are vast and, with initiatives like this, will only increase. It is encouraging to see how far we have come in schools, in terms of expanding opportunities, and instilling in girls to have no limits in what they pursue. There is so much possibility to achieve in the tech industry and, with the evolution of flexible working, inclusion for women is greater than ever before, meaning they can fulfil exciting career ambitions while maintaining the positive work-life balance that many look for.”

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Tech jobs amongst Scotland’s top 20 salaries increases in 2022

Every year, Hays publishes its Salary & Recruiting Trends guide. It includes over 10,000 salaries across 16 industry areas in all UK regions, including Scotland.

The guide shows that tech jobs still occupy high positions in the top 20, with cyber security analysts and software developers in third and fourth places respectively, with an increase of over 24%.

According to Hays Scotland director, Keith Mason, STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) are still highly sought after with engineering projects in Scotland likely to be a significant economic driver going forward.

A new entry at number five, events managers can now enjoy a salary of around £37,000, which is a 23% increase in 2022.

“Conferences and corporate events are huge drivers for the hospitality industry,” says Mason.

“This is a sign of organisations wishing to re-establish connections with customers post-Covid. “A good events manager will act as an effective sales person for an organisation, helping them to both boost sales and increase brand visibility in a very competitive sector.”

IT and cyber security, sales, and diversity, equality and inclusion advisors also feature highly.

The overall salary increase in Scotland in 2022 was 5.7%, compared to 5.4% across the UK.

The full list of top 20 salary increases for 2022 is:

https://www.hays.co.uk/scotland

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Morgan Stanley creates career opportunities for over 200 young people

Technology roles feature prominently in Morgan Stanley’s biggest ever recruitment programme for University Graduates, Graduate Apprentices and University Summer Interns in Glasgow.  Over the next few months, the bank will recruit 75 University Graduates, 25 Graduate Apprentices and 104 University Summer Interns.

The 75 University Graduates will be recruited primarily from universities across Scotland for various roles and responsibilities across Technology, Operations, Finance, Legal & Compliance and Fund Services.

The 25 Graduate Apprenticeships will provide opportunities for Scottish High School leavers from S5 and S6. Graduate Apprentices will earn while they learn, working in the Technology, Finance and Operations teams at Morgan Stanley in Glasgow. They will also be able to pursue a degree qualification at the same time.

The 104 University Summer Internships are aimed primarily at penultimate year university undergraduates, typically those in the third year of degree courses at Scottish universities. Commencing in early June 2023, the internships run for 13 weeks, providing an excellent introduction and insight to the range of career opportunities at Morgan Stanley.

Vida Rudkin, Head of Morgan Stanley Glasgow said,

“Throughout the past two and a half years of the pandemic, Morgan Stanley has remained committed to providing opportunities for young people.  The firm has been an Investor in Young People at Gold level since 2015 and an early signatory for the Scottish Government’s Young Persons Pledge, so it is especially pleasing that this year we are recruiting the highest ever number of graduates, Graduate Apprentices and Interns to the Glasgow office.  Our new joiners are supported by our early careers training programmes and our Young Professionals Network.”

Rudkin continued,

“Our investment and commitment to young people in Scotland has been more than rewarded through the sheer depth of diverse talent we have been able to meet and recruit from across the country and we very much value the strong relationships we have forged with schools, universities and a whole host of partner organisations dedicated to nurturing and developing future generations.”

Applications for both University Graduates and University Summer Interns opportunities open in September with a closing deadline at the end of November, while applications for Graduate Apprenticeships will open in September and close in early March 2023. Full details, including how to apply, can be found on the Morgan Stanley website atCareers for Students and Graduates | Morgan Stanley

Graduate Apprentices joining Morgan Stanley’s Technology team will have the opportunity to complete a BSc in Software Development in partnership with the University of Strathclyde or a BSc in Software Engineering, in partnership with the University of Glasgow.

Morgan Stanley opened its first Glasgow office in 2000, employing six people. Having grown to occupy two city centre office buildings, the bank moved in 2018 to a new 155,000 sq ft purpose built HQ building on Waterloo Street in Glasgow’s International Financial Services District.

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Over 13% of all Scottish jobs in digital sector

13.22% of jobs in Scotland are in the digital sector according to numbers by Adzuna analysed by Tech Nation for the UK’s Digital Economy Council.

Since January 2022, there have been over 20,000 tech roles advertised in Scotland, with average advertised salaries hitting £52,893 across the country.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

“The UK is enjoying a golden age in tech. Not only are we one of the best places in the world to start digital businesses, but there are countless opportunities for people to enter the sector and flourish in their career.

“We’re working hard to open doors for people from all walks of life so that they can gain the skills and knowledge needed to make the most of our booming tech industry.”

The need for upskilling

A survey by Tech Nation and YouGov showed that having tech skills was essential for job security and pay increase . During the COVID pandemic an increased number of people have chosen to learn coding, cloud technologies or data visualisation skills.

Companies are also focussing on on-the-job training for future tech talents and tech companies like Amazon and Google have also launched digital skills programmes to train employees across the UK.

Software developers and cyber professionals in high demand

Software development are the most sought after roles in the UK and this is for both tech and non tech businesses.

Other in-demand jobs include business analysts (+650% compared to 2019), data analysts (+520%) and product managers (+710%). Business analysts are now the second most in-demand tech role in the UK, having overtaken engineers.

Top 10 available UK tech jobs

1. Software developer

2. Business analyst

3. Java developer

4. DevOps engineer

5. Project manager

6. Engineer

7. Data analyst

8. Product manager

9. Consultant

10. IT system architect

The prevalence of data

Data is now the number one desired skill in UK tech with a 1006% increase in demand for data skills since 2019.

Dr George Windsor, Data and Research Director at Tech Nation, said:

“The UK is continuing to be the leading light for tech in Europe and the scale of exciting job opportunities across the country is a reflection of that. It’s interesting to see how companies are responding to changing challenges, such as the rise in the demand for data skills and an increase in security skills across the board. It’s not just technical skills that can make a difference – but communication and management experience are increasingly important too. For anyone looking to enter this fast-paced and innovative industry, there is a role for you if you want it.”

Paul Lewis, chief customer officer at Adzuna, said:

“UK tech has consistently been one of the fastest-growing industries for job opportunities over the past few years as companies compete for skilled staff to enable them to grow in a competitive environment. Though we are starting to see the impact of the wider slowdown begin to affect the wider tech landscape, the rapid rise in digital tools and services since 2020 means that roles for software developers remain the most in-demand by companies across the board. Security specialists are also in hot demand as companies adapt to changing business challenges like increased cyber threats.”

Euan Blair, CEO and founder of Multiverse, said: “

The shortage of tech skills is a huge challenge to companies everywhere, but it also means incredible opportunities are being opened up to well-paid, long-term careers. As a tech industry we’ve a duty to make sure these jobs are accessible to talented people regardless of background or financial circumstances. We’ve built an outstanding alternative to university to deliver on exactly this goal. Ultimately whether it’s a start-up or a large corporate, the companies that get their skills pipelines right will have an enormous competitive advantage.”

Photo by Vojtech Okenka

Plan for a new Financial Services Skills and Inclusion Hub unveiled

SFE led the production of an industry-led Financial Services Skills Action Plan, alongside Skills Development Scotland, educators, third sector organisations, and the Scottish Government.

The plan was presented to Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes MSP, and endorsed by the First Minister. It includes proposals to create Scotland’s first Financial Services Skills and Inclusion Hub, a virtual environment created, developed, and delivered by the industry through key partnerships, supporting the aim of filling 50,000 roles in the next three years.

The hub aligns with the Scottish Government’s recently launched National Strategy for Economic Transformation and will contribute significantly to accelerated economic recovery, the development of Scotland’s skilled workforce and promoting inclusive growth.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“This is an important step forward in building Scotland’s status as a leading global financial centre in which people from all backgrounds want to work. We want to attract skilled people to come and work within our financial services industry as well as create a sustainable and accessible platform for them.

“We want people – whatever their age or circumstances – to see finance as an achievable industry to break into and not one that is only for a select few. That is why it is important we collaborate to ensure we’re doing everything we can to promote financial services across Scotland’s schools. By bringing together employers with educators we can identify talent as early as possible and open pathways which will benefit the sector and help us build a more inclusive labour market.

“This industry-led Skills Action Plan will support the development of Scotland’s skilled workforce, with the aim of filling 50,000 new roles in the next three years, and I welcome this alignment with the ambition we set out in our new National Strategy for Economic Transformation.”

SFE Chief Executive, Sandy Begbie CBE, said:

“We were delighted that the First Minister welcomed our Skills Action Plan as we launch our new visual identity and website. Our message this week is that finance is one of Scotland’s biggest assets. We have a truly unique, globally recognised financial services ecosystem here that is at the cutting-edge in terms of technology and innovation and offers real value and expertise to international investors. Supporting and enabling new pipelines of diverse talent is essential as we seek to build on these strong foundations and create more well paid, highly productive jobs and investment to benefit the whole of Scotland.”

Caitlin Cooke, Seconded Head of Skills and Talent, SFE, and Senior Manager, EY, said:

“This time last year we launched Scotland’s Financial Services Strategy which underlined our commitment to having a positive impact on society through leading the journey to net zero, supporting the economic recovery, responding to changing customer needs, and developing skills and inclusion. We are now putting concrete plans into place to make sure the aims of the strategy are delivered, working collaboratively with government, industry, educators and the third-sector to ensure the best possible outcomes for the sector while creating inclusive growth and fair, long-term prosperity for all.”

Call out for FinTech companies to host four week summer internship

Does your company believe in supporting young people into FinTech? Are you looking to grow your future talent pipeline? Could you do with an extra pair of hands to support a project?

This summer CodeClan is launching the CodeClan Youth Academy (CCYA), a four week coding bootcamp followed by a four week internship in industry.

Sponsored by Baillie Gifford, this eight week programme takes place across July and August and aims to provide 10 young people aged 16 – 24 with programming skills used in industry.

During the bootcamp students will learn Front End Development skills and by the end will be able to make improvements and updates to websites and perform initial troubleshooting of front end bugs and issues.

Curriculum

CodeClan is looking for companies who are passionate about supporting the next generation of coders by hosting a paid internship in August, where students can use the skills they have learned in a real workplace setting.

The benefits of hosting an internship include:

• Introducing young people to the world of technology.
• Diversify your existing talent pool.
• Develop your future talent pipeline.
• Development opportunity for current staff.

We are flexible on how the internship is delivered, all we ask is:

• The internship starts on 1st August for a minimum of 100 hours (or 25 hours a week for four weeks).
• The intern is paid the living wage.
• The employer keeps in touch with CodeClan during the internship.

If you are a technology company who is passionate about supporting more young people into the sector and want to host a CCYA intern this August. Please get in touch with Aileen O’Hagan on aileen.ohagan@codeclan.com.