A Future in Finance is our education engagement programme, which aims to encourage young people to consider and explore financial services as an employment option. The programme has three core missions:

  • Inspire young people about the world of opportunities available for them in financial and related professional services

  • Break stereotypes about who works in the financial services and what kinds of opportunities are available in the industry

  • Enable young people from every background to identify the opportunities and pathways into the industry best suited to their skills and ambitions

We aim to support these missions by reaching young people with the following messages about the industry:

A future in finance is…

  • Digital: the world of finance is constantly adapting to new technology. Areas like data analytics, cyber security, software development, and artificial intelligence are helping to shape the industry and offer potential entrants the opportunity to develop complex and highly sought-after skills for their future.

  • Global: From Edinburgh to Tokyo, New York to Sydney, financial services is an industry that spans continents and time zones, making it an ideal opportunity for anyone who wants to see the world, or even those who are just curious about how the world works.

  • Green: Finance has a central role to play in solving the major challenges that exist today, from climate change to social and economic inequality. The industry needs the next generation of individuals who care passionately about these issues to help make positive change to our planet and society.

  • For everyone: Today’s financial services industry thrives through its diversity. It’s an industry that welcomes and encourages people from different backgrounds experiences and talents to enable its continued development. Whatever your race, sexuality, gender, or disability: there is a place for you in finance.

Career insights in education

Information for employers

Through FIF, SFE member firms get the chance to engage with young people from across Scotland and the opportunity to inspire them to consider their future in financial services.

Many member firms have their own programmes with schools, and the purpose of Future in Finance is not to replace or enforce change to existing programmes, but to complement these programmes with a unified message about financial services.

We rely on SFE member firms with an interest in supporting the next generation of talent to play an active role in FIF, by supporting the Young Professionals within their firm to deliver the programme via events, workshops and videos.

Information for educators

We work with educators in secondary and further education to help provide students with a broad range of learning experiences about the different careers available in financial services and the pathways available to young people from every background. We have delivered sessions for schools across Scotland through our Future in Finance Programme and we work closely with important partners like Future Asset, Investment2020, Career Ready and DYW.

Explore our sector's education programmes below.

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Career Pathways

There are a huge variety of roles within the financial services industry which require different skills and a diversity of people from across society to fill them.

Access to diverse and inclusive talent is a critical success factor for financial services in Scotland, and there are various pathways available into the sector, from apprenticeships to direct entry through, to graduate schemes. The sector also gives people opportunities to upskill, reskill and adapt to technological change.

Interested in a career in financial services? Here are some of the opportunities available to you:

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships represent an important pathway option into financial services. There are three types of apprenticeship in Scotland; Foundation, Modern and Graduate with programmes on areas from accountancy to digital marketing, and everything in between.

If you are interested in finding out more about Scottish apprenticeships, visit apprenticeship.scot for more information.

Colleges

There are 26 colleges across Scotland, with a range of courses from SVQs to Higher National Diplomas in a range of subject areas from Business & HR to Marketing and Computing, which are relevant to, and highly regarded by financial services employers.

Colleges also play a key role in helping to deliver Foundation Apprenticeships, for those looking to combine on-the-job experience with academic learning.

Visit Colleges Scotland to find out more about the variety of colleges in Scotland and the courses they offer.

Universities

Scotland has 19 universities, including three of the worlds top 200 according to The Times 2023 Higher Education World University Guide. There are courses available in a broad range of subjects, from Cyber Security and Software Development to Accountancy and Finance and alongside traditional undergraduate and postgraduate courses, a number of universities offer bespoke programmes to meet specific skills needs for employers.

Graduate programmes are a popular pathway into the sector and a number of SFE members offer opportunities for students seeking to launch their careers after graduation.

Find out more about Scotland’s universities here.