Bath-based fintech doubles number of paid summer internships to encourage the next generation of technology leaders.
Seccl, the Bath-based technology company that develops innovative investment software for fintechs and financial advice firms, has doubled down on its commitment to creating a diverse next generation of technology leaders, by extending its Digital Bootcamp.
The Seccl Digital Bootcamp is a paid internship programme that aims to expose a wide range of students to a career in technology, encouraging those who may have not previously considered the industry to learn and apply the skills that are critical for digital businesses.
The programme has built on the demand and success of its first year (2020), nearly doubling its intake to now seven students.
Students will be given a crash-course in topics as diverse as intermediate coding, business strategy, regulation, growth marketing, product design, agile working, UX and analytics. While current programmes are being offered remotely due to Coronavirus, the Digital Bootcamp won’t consist solely of classroom-based learning.
Instead, by working directly with Seccl’s 50-strong team of developers, product managers, designers, operations staff and customer success teams, students will be allowed to rapidly learn new skills, before immediately using them in real-life projects within the business.
Sam Handfield-Jones, Co-CEO of Seccl, said: “Today’s graduates will enter a job market that’s as challenging as any other. As well as the aftereffects of the global pandemic, the relentless pace of technological change means that students need to adapt quickly if they’re to thrive in the fast-moving world of work. The Seccl Digital Bootcamp is simply our way of helping more students from different fields of study to acquire the digital skills they might need to hit the ground running.
“But it’s a two-way exchange. The students are a real breath of fresh air and add a huge amount of value through their innovative ideas, challenges and strong moral compass. We’ve found that the team get just as much out of the experience as the students do!”
Arifa Hussain, an English Literature student who’s taking part in the Seccl Summer Bootcamp, revealed: “A technology internship might not seem the most natural fit for my studies, but I wanted to broaden my horizons in a fast-paced, hands-on environment. Seccl is exactly that – and it’s already completely changed my career outlook.
“It always felt like there was this expectation to go down the traditional route – to do a vocational degree and get a job in accounting, for example. But the Digital Bootcamp has opened my eyes to new and fast-growing industry – fintech – that has lots of career options to explore.”
As well as offering an eight-week summer internship, Seccl also hosts students on year-long industrial placements.
Adnan Siddiquei, a Physics student who joined Seccl for last year’s Summer Bootcamp, returned to the company in September 2020 for his placement year. Adnan added: “The Digital Bootcamp was such a varied and hands-on experience that I just knew I wanted to re-join the team for my placement.
“Over the past year I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with the Product Management Team, explore the varied world of BizOps and now I am working with the Back End Engineering Team on a range of software developments. The multidisciplinary experience that Seccl offers is so valuable and has helped me explore interests and talents I didn’t even know I had.
“But one of the best parts of the placement year has to be the fact that it doesn’t feel like you’re a placement student – you’re treated as a member of the team from the start. You get to slot into each department like any new joiner would, learning alongside practical experiences and responsibilities.”
Seccl has expanded its team from 23 to 54 employees over the past 12 months and is still actively recruiting for a further 10 roles. To find out more about professional or student opportunities with Seccl, head to https://seccl.tech/careers or email our Head of People, Rebecca, at people@seccl.tech.
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Notes to editors:
For photos and logos, find our media pack here. And to hear more from our Digital Bootcamp Students, check out our blog. The 2021 Digital Bootcamp students are…
- Alankrit Mata
- Arifa Hussain
- Jack Dorney
- Patrick Michallet
- Pennie Moey
- Shloka Sharma
- Tanya Bhardwaj