Spotlight on Skills
From FinTech Wales to CFIT-Meet the Head of Talent, Engagement & Placements
Who is the Head of Talent, Engagement & Placements?
Gemma Hallett joined CFIT in July as the Head of Talent, Engagement and Placements.
Gemma was formerly the UK’s first ever appointed skills lead for FinTech Wales and has a long career forged in education, skills strategy and career innovation. Gemma’s own previous roles have encompassed education, leaver destination strategies and effective upskilling within the financial services ecosystem.
At CFIT, Gemma is now taking this deep and regional experience national. In this role she will be delving deep into the needs, challenges and solutions that the UK requires to ensure a new and diverse supply of talent to its fintech sector.
Comment from Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO, FinTech Wales
“We are immensely proud to have played a part in Gemma’s remarkable journey as she embarks on her new role as Head of Talent, Engagement, and Partnerships for CFIT.
Having previously served as the Head of Skills for FinTech Wales, Gemma’s unwavering dedication and enthusiasm have been integral in fostering the development of skills and talent to bolster the Welsh FinTech ecosystem. Both Gemma and the CFiT team have our unwavering support as they spearhead Team GB’s Skills Strategy, driving the growth of the UK’s FinTech landscape.”
What are the delivery goals of the Head of Talent, Engagement and Placements?
The Kalifa Report focussed on five key areas of support: policy & regulation, skills, investment, national connectivity, and international attractiveness and underlying all of its recommendations is an obligation to collaborate in a way that has not been possible before. This role will focus and deliver on the core area of skills growth throughout the FS ecosystem.
Currently all regions throughout the UK have varying skills needs, different strengths and individual network initiatives in place. The central aim is to work with academics, local government and business collectively to create a national initiative that taps into the very best of regional activities and learning to drive a skills agenda that benefits all. The Head of Talent, Engagement and Placements will sit at the intersection of all involved stakeholders to ensure that the best approaches to skills development can be applied and amplified throughout the UK.
Success will be a joined-up national agenda that keeps on developing and supporting diverse talent pipelines in the UK. This will encompass not just early stage careers, but all career cycle stages and potential pipelines yet to be explored. The aim is to attract, retain and ensure prosperous careers in financial innovation whatever the stage or location.
How to get Involved…
Over the next few months, Gemma will be defining the various regional demand and supply needs, sourcing effective case studies, amplifying good practice and outlining activities that can be rolled out nationally. To curate the very best recommendations Gemma will be connecting and working across business, academic and regional initiatives supporting hyperlocal needs across the whole of the UK.
In order to identify challenges, commonalities and scope the opportunities, CFIT will be engaging.
Whether its partnerships between academia and roles in financial innovation, funding successes or talent matching initiatives that upskill new or existing talent, we would like to hear from the ecosystem – Please step forward!
For more information, please contact gemma.hallett@cfit.org.uk