Tag: girls and young women

Future Asset’s impact: Inspiring girls to create a diverse financial industry future

Reception at Holyrood addresses gender disparity in Investment Management

 On Tuesday 5 December, Future Asset hosted a Reception at Holyrood sponsored by Michelle Thomson MSP.

The event provided an opportunity for key stakeholders, including students, teachers, industry representatives and volunteers, and elected members, to discuss the lack of gender diversity in the investment management industry.

Michelle Thomson, MSP said: “I’m delighted to be sponsoring this Future Asset event in the Scottish Parliament this evening. I’m very interested in using all the ways I can to promote girls and women into financial services.

“Perhaps I have more than a vested interest in this, as I spent around 23 years in financial services. I’m also the convener of the Cross-Party group for women’s enterprise and sit on the Finance Committee. In other words I’ve spent my career involved in the area so that is why I’m so delighted to sponsor it.”

The evening also highlighted the support needed for girls from all backgrounds to pursue careers within investment management, widening the talent pipeline and enabling long-term benefits for the Scottish Economy with a powerful video from the girls and teachers who are taking part in this year’s competition.

Helen Bradley, CEO of Future Asset said: “We have had so much positive feedback from our guests already. From firms, teachers and perhaps most significantly, from the girls.

“They had a fantastic evening, and it has really underlined to them that they have so much potential, and that their talents are very much needed in the investment management industry.”

At a time when the proportion of female fund managers lies stagnant at 12% in the UK and almost 60% of 16-24-year-olds in Scotland are unlikely to consider a career in financial services, this discussion comes at a crucial time for policymakers.

Future Asset informs girls in Scotland about careers in investment management, enthuses them about opportunities in the sector, and widens the talent pipeline whilst improving diversity in the industry. 

Attendees on Tuesday night heard from several schools across Scotland’s 32 local authorities on their experience with Future Asset. There are now cohorts participating in the competition from 30 of the local authorities.

The girls shared their recommendations on the additional support they require to expand access to this sector. Guests also heard from key industry representatives on why they are lending their full support to this initiative.

For more information visit https://www.futureasset.org.uk/

Local schools in contest to find new generation of investors

Girls from eleven Edinburgh and East Lothian schools are battling it out with rivals from across Scotland in a contest to prove they can be the next stars of the investment industry. 

The students are among over 70 teams from 48 schools taking part in the Growing Future Assets Competition, designed to nurture a future generation of female investment experts. 

The contest, which aims to introduce senior girls to the world of investment and its range of careers, sees the teenagers vying to spot the next big investment opportunity.  And it has ignited fierce competition this year with entries up by 300%.

 Those taking part include teams from: Balerno Community, Craigmount, Craigroyston Community, Holy Rood RC and Forrester High Schools plus independent schools George Heriots, George Watson’s College, Edinburgh and Loretto School in Musselburgh; Knox Academy, Haddington and North Berwick and Preston Lodge High Schools in East Lothian. 

The soaring popularity of the contest is down to the enthusiasm of the teenagers, willingness of teachers to embrace extra-curricular activities and outstanding support from investment management professionals who are helping to mentor the schoolgirls. 

Financial educators Future Asset are challenging a total of 320 girls, divided into teams of 13-18-year-olds to research, analyse and pitch a company they think will be a great long-term investment. 

The youngsters are paired with a mentor from an investment company to provide advice, inspiration and career insights and have the chance to attend online masterclasses as they develop an understanding that good investing focuses on a company’s long-term prospects, profits and sustainability.

This year more than 80 investment mentors from 28 firms have stepped up to counsel the young women. 

Ashley-Jane Kyle, CFA, Investment Analyst at Walter Scott & Partners Limited and Investment Mentor for the competition says: “Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed being an Investment Mentor as part of the competition, but I have also been so impressed with the students’ enthusiasm and effort put in to their investment reports and pitches.

“I think this is a great way to break the barrier that often puts girls off from considering investment management as a career as it allows them to experience in quite a real way what it’s like to research and invest in businesses. It also gives them an opportunity to develop valuable skills which they will be able to use throughout their careers.” 

Experts from journalism and business are also advising the teenagers: Executive and Voice Coach Susan Room is helping to boost their skills and confidence with online masterclasses in Mindset, Body Language, Speech and Voice, while author, broadcaster and financial journalist Iona Bain, who launched the contest in September, is on hand to explain how they can invest their way to a better future. 

Now in its third year, the competition features a senior contest for years S5 and S6 and a junior challenge for S3 and S4.  The teams of three to six girls will present their case in a research report and three-minute elevator pitch by November 30. The top teams will then deliver an extended pitch to judges at the final in March next year. 

At stake is: £1000 for the winning senior school and £200-worth of vouchers of the students’ choice for each team member; £800 for the best junior school and £150-worth of vouchers each.  Senior and junior runners-up receive £500 and £100 of vouchers and £400 and £75 of vouchers, respectively. 

Helen Bradley, Future Asset programme manager, says: “We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown by the schools, the teachers and all the investment experts who have come forward to mentor the teams. 

“We weren’t sure what the response would be from schools then at the beginning of September, when the competition launched, we just watched in amazement at the huge influx of registrations. We put out a call for additional mentors and that was answered enthusiastically by experts already in the industry. 

“We’re also hugely impressed by the commitment shown by teachers who have really responded to this extra-curricular opportunity for their students – especially when they have already faced such a difficult period and increase in their own workload over the last 18 months.” 

Future Asset believes that being female should never be seen as a barrier to progressing in a chosen career.  

Their goal is to enable girls in the senior phase of high school to learn how investment can change the world for the better, gain valuable, transferable skills and consider the benefits of possible future careers.

They organise conferences and workshops for girls across Scotland.

For more information visit https://www.futureasset.org.uk/ 

SHE Scotland introduce their new Circle Time programme

SHE Circle time – our primary school based programme is ready!

Circle workshops designed to support building confidence, self-esteem, developing positive relationships, and learning mindfulness techniques for girls in P4-P7.

http://shescotland.org.uk

CyberFirst Girls Competition

CyberFirst Girls Competition 2021 banner: The story starts with you.

Registration for the CyberFirst Girls Competition 2021 is now open.

The National Cyber Security Centre is working hard to get more girls interested in a career in cyber security. The CyberFirst Girls Competition provides a fun but challenging environment to inspire the next generation of young women to consider a career in cyber security.

The competition is a team event, with each one made up of 4 female students from Year 8 in England and Wales, Year 9 in Northern Ireland and S2 in Scotland.

It consists of three distinct phases:

  • the online qualifying round to identify the top teams in each home nation and English region
  • the semi-final where teams will battle it out in their areas to qualify for a place in the Grand Final
  • the Grand Final where the top ten teams drawn from the regions in England, and from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will gather to compete for the title of UK CyberFirst Girls Competition Winners.

Whatever your ability, from beginner to expert, the CyberFirst Girls Competition is an opportunity to learn something new about cyber security.

2021 Girls Competition key dates:

30th November 2020 – team registration opens

1200 (noon) 25th January – 1200 (noon) 3rd February 2021 – online qualifying round

12th March 2021 – Home nations and English regions semi-final

26th April 2021 – Grand Final

We will be sticking to the same format as last year which seeks to encourage and recognise participation from all parts of the UK, whilst making some changes to ensure the competition can run in a Covid-secure way.​

To begin with, there will be an online qualifier round lasting 10 days, followed by a semi-final round and a Grand Final.​

The content for each category of the competition is consistent with subjects within the Computer Science syllabus from both the National Curriculum and Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence.

However, the competition will contain some advanced cyber topics that are not covered in traditional education but will seek to stretch the lateral thinking and additional cyber knowledge of the teams.

What you need to know:

  1. Teams can … register now! Registration opened on 30th November, and stays open until the qualifier closes on 3rd February 2021. We would recommend registering ahead of the online qualifier though. 
  2. Teams are……made up of up to four female students in Year 8, S2 or Year 9 (NI).​
  3. Teams need……to be supported by a responsible adult appointed by the school who is aged over 18 years and who can act as the team guardian.​
  4. Team guardians……do not need to have any cyber knowledge or be an IT or computer science teacher. Their role is to register the teams and facilitate access to the competition.​
  5. Schools can……enter as many teams as they like if they fit the qualifying criteria (see above).
  6. The semi-final round…..will take place during the school day.​ Students will need to be taken off the day’s timetable should they qualify.
  7. The Grand Final……will take place during the school day.​ Students will need to be taken off the day’s timetable should they qualify.

Fort Kinnaird offers free sanitary products to help tackle period poverty

Edinburgh’s Fort Kinnaird has installed a dispenser offering complimentary sanitary products in an effort to support those experiencing period poverty. Shoppers in need are invited to take a free product from the machine, which is located in the women’s bathroom facilities at the Fort Kinnaird customer service centre. Continue reading Fort Kinnaird offers free sanitary products to help tackle period poverty