This summer, Scottish Financial Enterprise was pleased to host Maya Abadan for a week long internship as part of our commitment to nurturing future talent in Scotland’s financial and professional services sector.

As part of Maya’s internship with SFE, she wrote a short blog reflecting on her experience. You can read it here.

In a world where career paths often seem linear, our latest case study features an inspiring journey that defies expectations. Amanda Byrne, an Associate at BNP Paribas, whose initial aspirations lay far from the financial sector – in nursing, to be precise. It was a pivotal Career Ready internship that unexpectedly ignited a passion for finance, revealing a hidden talent and a profound sense of belonging. Read Amanda’s story here.

Many of us embark on career paths influenced by family, yet often, it's the unexpected detours and a willingness to explore that truly shape our professional journeys. That was the case with Finlay Stewart who, despite initial aspirations of becoming an archaeologist, found his calling in the dynamic world of financial services. Read more in Finlay’s blog here.

In our next #NoWrongPath blog, we hear from Jay Robertson, a successful Private Banker at Coutts on how an unexpected apprenticeship sparked a passion, reshaped ambitions, and led to a thriving career in the dynamic world of wealth management. Jay’s story champions real-world experience, continuous growth, and the profound impact of mentorship. 

As thousands of young people across Scotland receive their exam results today, our Chief Executive Sandy Begbie has written a piece reminding young people that there is no wrong path and that your willingness to learn, your mindset and your attitude to challenge matter just as much as exam results.

This week, we’re proud to support the #NoWrongPath campaign by Developing the Young Workforce, which shines a light on the many different routes people take into fulfilling careers. First up is Jess Insall, co-chair of the SFE young professional network, to share her story.

Before my internship I didn’t really know what to expect when I went into the workplace. The internship has made me realise that I might not go to college next year for joinery and would like to find a job in financial services.

In this post, we'll dive into the journeys of three individuals who've successfully navigated this transition: Mark Kane, Senior Project Manager at M&G; Jamie McMillan, Operational Risk Director at Barclays; and Ben James, Director at Baillie Gifford. Their stories highlight how their military backgrounds didn't just prepare them for a new career but actively gave them a unique edge.

Check out our latest blog as we reflect on a powerful conversation with Dr Cor Hutton MBE, Kasia Zduniak and Derek McEwan. Discover how their insights and personal stories highlight the importance of designing inclusive environments where everyone can thrive, and learn more about the proactive steps we can take to embed equity and inclusion into our workplaces.

In our latest insight blog, Jonathan Brill Chief Executive at Eduvate highlights the important role that collaboration will play in tackling financial inclusion here in Scotland as well as key ways in which the financial services industry can support in order to reduce the financial inclusion gap.

Fionn Travers-Smith, Financial Inclusion Manager at Phoenix Group has written our latest insight blog outlining the purpose of the firms new Funding Future’s Programme and how you can get involved.

Heriot-Watt University has announced a strategic collaboration with J.P. Morgan for the provision of multiple Graduate Apprenticeship positions, based in Edinburgh, a positive step in addressing the pressing demand for generating new talent for Scotland’s financial services sector.

To mark Social Mobility Day, our Chief Executive Sandy Begbie has written an insight blog discussing the importance of addressing socioeconomic inequality through to the skills system. Read the ful blog here.

Financial Inclusion for Scotland have launched Scotland’s first collaborative financial inclusion strategy, designed to improve the financial wellbeing of Scotland's most vulnerable populations, enable further access to mainstream financial services and eradicate financial exclusion.

Research from the Financial Conduct Authority’s Financial Lives survey shows that while the overall picture has improved slightly over the past year, many people continue to struggle to meet financial commitments. 

In our latest Spotlight on Higher Education blog, Supta Das tells us about her Graduate Apprenticeship in IT management at Heriot-Watt University and how it helped her develop the key skills she needed to navigate to world of work and thrive in her current role at EY Scotland.

As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2024, we asked the latest addition to the SFE team, Lana McGill to write a blog for us discussing her office administration apprenticeship, what she has learned over the past 6 months and how she feels she has progressed since joining.

If you’d like to be part of a growing industry, fancy a career change, or are looking to gain new skills and experience, consider an apprenticeship in Scotland’s financial services industry.

In our next spotlight on higher education blog, Matej Mezes, of PwC provides insight on his accountancy degree at Edinburgh Napier University whilst working a full time job as a duty manager at the Edinburgh University Pleasance gym before eventually landing a place on the Actuarial Services Graduate Programme at PwC.

In our first spotlight on higher education blog, Robert Glover from abrdn shares his career story to date, his regret at not pursuing higher education early in his career but how he has now corrected this through applying to a graduate apprenticeship scheme where he is now working towards a full Bsc Hon degree as a data scientist.