CodeClan graduates embrace Scotland's growing fintech sector

It's the booming tech sector that's creating jobs in both start-ups and traditional banks.

Students at CodeClan's base in Edinburgh. Graduates of the training academy are increasingly finding work in fintech

Fintech - or financial technology - has led to numerous innovative products and services being developed in Scotland in recent years, including the borrowing platform created by LendingCrowd, to the identity and data protection provided by Payfont.

This growth has led graduates of Edinburgh-based CodeClan - the UK’s only accredited digital skills academy - to increasingly fill roles within both established financial companies and younger disruptive organisations.

In recent months, 20 CodeClan graduates have joined firms including Prudential, Wallet Services, Money Dashboard, Float and FreeAgent.

CodeClan trains individuals with a view to finding employment across the tech sector, helping to alleviate the chronic skills shortage affecting the industry.

Adam Bannon, acting chief executive, said: “Technology has an impact upon almost every business sector and CodeClan is working with employers to ensure that we provide graduates with opportunities across a variety of industries.

“The FinTech sector is rapidly growing and increasing in importance across Scotland and it is vital we can provide people with the right skills to help the industry thrive and fulfil its potential.”

Recent graduate Matthew Jeorrett joined Wallet Services as a developer evangelist after completing CodeClan’s 16-week professional software development course. The company simplifies blockchain technology and implements best practice for secure and robust transactions.

He said: “I was interested in what Wallet Services was doing and working in areas like Blockchain.

“They invited me in for a meeting and after I was offered the job I was doing hands-on coding straight away and working on front-end products. I’m also now getting into cryptography. Being on the course was brilliant and it was everything I expected it to be.”

CodeClan is a key element in the Scottish Government’s digital strategy, which aims to create the conditions in which the industry can thrive. The skills academy is also working with the newly established industry body, FinTech Scotland, whose goal is to make Scotland a global leader in Fintech innovation and development.

Ed Molyneux, CEO and co-founder of cloud accounting software company FreeAgent, said: “The future of Scotland’s tech sector depends on new talent being unearthed and allowed to flourish. By partnering with CodeClan, we’ve been delighted to help a new wave of Scottish graduates get nurtured and trained for successful careers in the tech industry.”

Colin Hewitt, CEO and cofounder of Float, an innovative financial software for businesses that helps budget and forecast cash flow said: “We’re delighted to see the CodeClan model really working, by identifying potential and training up quality software engineers. It’s been a great success story, and I think they’ve now proved that it can really work for both the students and companies they are serving.”

The digital technologies sector is one of the nation’s economic success stories, generating over £5 billion in GVA for Scotland every year. In terms of employment, the financial services sector is the second largest employer of digital technology workers in the country.