Postgraduate students secure employment through unique Masters scheme

Ten graduate trainees have secured permanent positions after studying MSc Financial Services Management as part of the Welsh Financial Services Graduate Programme, which aims to develop a graduate talent pool in the industry in Wales. 

Leading financial services companies - Atradius , Admiral, Composite Legal Expenses , GM Financial  and Principality Building Society recruited twenty students onto the Scheme in September 2013.

A substantial element of the scheme was delivered through work-based learning with the graduate trainees rotating around the employers, spending four six-month placements at each and applying their academic learning back into the workplace. 

With the scheme ending this August, ten of the trainees have already secured a permanent position with the participating employers and, given the high performance of all the trainees in the workplace and on the course, it is highly likely that all will find a permanent professional role within the employer consortium or wider industry in Wales. .

In addition, Rhys Carhart (GMAC Financial), Kate Fish (Atradius), Alana Richards (Admiral Group) were each awarded a £200 cheque from their relevant employers (pictured above) after presenting to the teaching staff and scheme managers on an academic subject of their choice. 

Senior lecturer, Helen Holleman said, " Each placement was based on a detailed training programme, developed by the employer and accredited by the teaching team. This scheme is the only one of its kind in Wales, we were selected to work with these employers to deliver a unique Masters which focuses on employability."

Peter Cheverton, author of Key Account Management, and director of Insight Marketing and People, was involved in one of the masters modules: key account management. “Within the financial services industry, account management is often forgotten about. I'm so pleased that the value of it has been recognised by the University and that the students are getting an understanding of the varying elements involved in their future careers within finance," says Peter.

Given their broad work experience over two years and their completion of the MSc, all the trainees will now be extremely attractive to financial services companies both locally and nationally.

Find out more about studying Accounting and Finance at the University of South Wales.