Fin-tech outfit widens search for new talent
A fast-growing financial-technology business has expanded its paid internship scheme in an effort to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to consider becoming the next generation of leaders in the sector.
Seccl, which is based on Manvers Street, Bath, develops investment management software for financial advice firms and other financial technology companies.
The business has been part of the Octopus Group since 2019, the group of companies that include the sustainable gas and electricity supplier Octopus Energy, as well as Octopus Investments and Octopus Ventures.
Seccl has expanded its workforce from 23 to 54 employees over the past 12 months and is still actively recruiting for a further 10 roles.
The company has now almost doubled its intake for the second iteration of its ‘Digital Bootcamp’ intern scheme to seven, to give more students an opportunity to learn and apply the skills required for a career with digital businesses.
Students will be taught intermediate coding, business strategy, regulation, growth marketing, product design, agile working, UX and analytics.
As well as offering an eight-week summer internship, Seccl also hosts students on year-long industrial placements. While classroom-based learning will be delivered virtually due to the pandmeic, interns will have the chance to work directly with Seccl’s team of developers, product managers, designers, operations staff and customer success teams on actual projects within the business.
Seccl’s co-chief executive Sam Handfield-jones said the Digital Bootcamp scheme was also looking to take on students from different fields of study.
Mr Handfield-jones said: “Today’s graduates will enter a job market that’s as challenging as any other. As well as the aftereffects of the global pandemic, the relentless pace of technological change means that students need to adapt quickly if they’re to thrive in the fast- moving world of work.”
Arifa Hussain, an English Literature student who’s taking part in the Seccl Summer Bootcamp, said the internship had “completely changed” her career outlook.
Ms Hussain said: “It always felt like there was this expectation to go down the traditional route - to do a vocational degree and get a job in accounting, for example. But the Digital Bootcamp has opened my eyes to a new and fast-growing industry - fintech - that has lots of career options.”