High school finalists show girl power at work
Girls from Oban High School are among finalists in a competition to find Scotland’s next generation of female investors.
The Growing Future Assets contest, which encourages young women to consider a career in the world of investment management, attracted record entries this year, with a team from the school having already beaten off stiff competition to be in the running for a top spot.
The teenagers are contesting the junior 14 to 16-year-old category and will make their final pitch to judges this month. They will have to show their ability to spot the next big investment prospect by researching, analysing and pitching a company they think will be a lucrative long-term bet.
They are being mentored by investment management professionals at Ruffer and teachers.
The finalists have already presented their case in a research report and three-minute elevator pitch video and will deliver an extended pitch to judges in a live final on Thursday March 9, with the winners announced the next day.
The top senior school will win £1,000 and £200-worth of vouchers of the students’ choice for each team member, while the best junior school team will get £800 and £150-worth of vouchers each.
Future Asset programme manager Helen Bradley said this year’s competition is the most hotly contested yet.
“It’s been enormously gratifying to see the surge in interest from the youngsters and the commitment of their teachers and mentors. The popularity of the contest means that youngsters who may not otherwise have had contacts in the industry are now plugged into the potential that a career in investment management holds,” she added.