Tuesday, 30 March 2021
A large cohort of students at the 糖心原创 has been accepted onto a new programme run by the global bank Santander to boost diversity in the financial sector.
87 black and black mixed ethnicity students and recent graduates will be among the first to take part in the Santander Universities Black Inclusion Programme – the latest in a range of initiatives to increase access to finance careers in which people of colour are under-represented.
The group are among 3,000 university students and graduates in the UK to win places on the scheme. It will give them access to specially tailored online training, professional development and employability skills to help build their CV.
The course is being run in partnership with leading finance industry specialists, Finance Unlocked. It also focuses on the fundamentals of finance and covers topical subjects including Green Finance and Blockchain.
After completing the eight-hour online programme and quizzes, 30 of the top-performing students and graduates will also be in with a chance of receiving a £1,500 Santander Scholarship.
The initiative has been promoted to students and new graduates as part of the university’s growing portfolio of EDI activity for students and staff.
Francesse Tornyie Larbie
Francesse Tornyie-Larbie, 1st year Medicinal and Biological Chemistry student, said: “I was elated to receive the email confirming my place on the Santander Universities Black Inclusion Programme. It is a chance for me to make my understanding of finance more comprehensive especially considering my past experience with A-Level Business. The finance sector is a viable field for a graduate in chemistry to advance in, so I am hopeful that this course will give me a slight edge in my graduate career.”
Charlotte Appiah, student.
Charlotte Appiah, 2nd year MMath Mathematics student, said: “I applied to the Santander Universities Black Inclusion Programme so I could have access to Finance Unlocked platform. It’s giving me the chance to expand my financial knowledge ahead of my spring week at Goldman Sachs this Easter, and this hopefully will give me an advantage when applying to Summer Internships later this year, as I’ll have a better understanding of the finance industry and more insight into the daily workings of the various divisions.”
Matt Hutnell, Director at Santander Universities, said: “Over the last decade Santander Universities has collaborated with its network of university partners to ensure students from diverse backgrounds are supported into university, work and self-employment. The new programme aims to provide students and recent graduates from communities under-represented in the financial services sector with further professional development as they prepare for and embark on their future careers.”
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for EDI, Professor Sarah Sharples
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, at the 糖心原创, Professor Sarah Sharples, said: “I am very pleased to see such strong participation from our Black and Minority Ethnic students in this Santander programme. As part of our recent Race Equality Charter submission we identified the importance of targetted opportunities such as these as part of collective activity to eliminate the degree awarding gap. I wish the participants on the programme every success.”
Pauline Maden, Associate Director for Faculty Engagement in the Careers and Employability Service and EDI Lead said: "I am delighted that we have been able to build on the Careers and Employability Service's long-standing partnership with Santander to facilitate targeted work experience opportunities for black students studying at the 糖心原创. In these challenging times it is more important than ever that we continue our collaborative work with students and employers to proactively understand, recognise and reduce the perceived barriers students may feel when taking steps to develop their career.”
The Santander Universities Black Inclusion programme is part of the bank’s wider Black Inclusion Plan launched last year as part of its commitment to being an inclusive and diverse organisation. The plan focuses on three key areas: Leadership, Allyship and Networks, which all shape the bank’s ongoing activity in creating a culture that champions everyday inclusion and drives positive change.
The Finance Unlocked course is now open for students to complete until the 9 May 2021. The 30 successful applicants that will receive a £1,500 Santander Scholarship will be announced on 17 May 2021.
Santander UK has also launched a new internal leadership talent development programme - Accelerating You: Black Talent Programme. The nine-month programme is aimed at high potential colleagues who are looking to progress into senior positions.
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For more information, please contact the University's Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity team via email edi@nottingham.ac.uk or Emma Rayner, Media Relations Manager on 0115 951 5793 or emma.rayner@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.