When it comes to future ways of working, each organisation is different. So what can we learn from each other?

This insight blog from Gillian MacLellan of CMS, reflects on our new Ways of Working report and what its findings mean for employers and employees.

The past few years have been immensely challenging. From the first Covid lockdown to more recent economic challenges there’s been a seismic shift in our lives.

In our latest spotlight blog series we’re talking about diversity and inclusion. The series aims to profile the different people that make our industry thrive while enabling further progress.

Our first blog comes from Capco’s Shannan Patterson, who describes her experience of hiding an illness at work and what it takes to realise your true strengths.

A report released today by Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) and international law firm CMS has highlighted the key challenges firms across Scotland’s financial and professional services industry are facing as they continue to adapt to post-pandemic ways of working.

Ioana Staicu is a final-year BSc Psychology student at the University of Edinburgh. She spent the day at SF'E’s office last week shadowing our CEO Sandy through Odgers Berndtson UK’s Scotland Leader x1 day. Here she shares her thoughts on the experience.

It’s been a busy month to round off an exceptional year for the team at SFE. It’s difficult to put into words how much we have accomplished in 2022, so I thought I’d give you some numbers instead!

We are now accepting applications for the role of Chair for the Scottish Financial Enterprise Young Professionals

Our response to the 2023/4 Scottish Government budget.

In our latest Spotlight on Transferable Skills blog we hear from Joe Crehan from Rathbones on his journey from Science teacher to investment manager.

My name is Rory McIntyre and I’ve spent the last few years working in several workforce planning roles at NatWest Group. A lot of my stakeholders work in some of NatWest’s Technology franchises so I’m regularly in conversations about what skills are required to meet the demands of each business area. But despite the exponential rate of Technology advances and subsequent changes in skills, the requirement for soft transferable skills is still as high as ever.

Rather than despair at a perceived lack of progress, both industry and government must seize the opportunity to urgently advance the development of our transition plans.

The Scotland-London Financial Services Forum, established with industry body Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE), will look at how working together can aid economic stability, create growth and protect jobs.

We are living in a new digital landscape, spending a huge proportion of our time on one digital platform or another. Most of our conversations may be happening on WhatsApp or Zoom; we’re working more and more on Teams and connecting with our friends via TikTok or Instagram. Our digital life is becoming integral to our real life.

SFE has joined 18 other business groups and industry bodies have jointly written to the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister and Interim Finance Secretary asking him to freeze the business rate in the coming financial year.

“It was eye opening for me to see how many different roles there are in the Financial Services, I suppose from the outside you don’t really think about the work that goes into making banks run. What became clear to me is how the skills of ex-service personnel can benefit the Financial Services.”

In December 2021, SFE Young Professionals shared the findings of research they’d led on mental health in the financial and related professional services industry in Scotland. It identified that work was a major factor contributing to mental health issues, but also the role of employers in helping to support people and improve wellbeing. They grouped the key actions they wanted industry to take into four broad areas: culture, capability, communication and covid-19 recovery. Since then, SFE, in partnership with the Young Professionals, has been leading a programme of activity to support these action areas. This interview and article forms part of that programme.

Sandy Begbie CBE responds to today’s Autumn Statement

“Financial services in Scotland is a historic industry with a bright future and Scottish Enterprise is committed to promoting this globally to encourage even more companies to invest, locate and grow here. We value our relationship with SFE and its members and would welcome the opportunity to explore joint promotional opportunities.”

In our next #SpotlightOnTransferableSkills blog, we heard from James Copeland who outlines his transition from serving almost 24 years in the army and achieving the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 to becoming Marketing Governance and Control Manager at Barclays.

For day four of Careers Week we spoke with our Digital Marketing Apprentice Harry Meighan about his apprenticeship experience so far, and what he has learned about the world of work and himself.