Postgraduate students demonstrate their expertise in Fintech Wales Skills Challenge

On November 12, the Accounting and Finance Section had the pleasure of welcoming 49 students to take part in the first-ever FinTech Wales Skills Challenge, an exciting collaboration with FinTech Wales and four Fintech employers: EY, Final Rentals, Monmouthshire Building Society, and Hodge.

The majority of the students involved were those enrolled on MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Financial Technology.

Each employer provided the students with real-world fintech challenges to tackle in just 30 minutes, producing 24 innovative solutions on themes such as financial inclusion, data dashboards, and global business growth.

The challenge set by EY was to identify the barriers that certain groups, such as refugees, disabled people or single parents, face when managing money, accessing benefits, or resolving debt.

Final Rentals asked the students to consider how the company can increase its annual revenue by 50% in the next fiscal year by unlocking opportunities in new markets, particularly in the Far East, ASEAN, and wider APAC region.

Hodge asked students to prepare a dashboard that presents the performance of their mortgage and savings products, using both internal and external data sources.

Monmouthshire Building Society’s challenge was to propose a creative and practical solution for how they can transform their high street presence in 2025/26.

The students’ creativity and technical knowledge as well as their teamwork impressed all our visiting employers as they showcased not only academic excellence but also vital employability skills under pressure and to a strict deadline.

This event formed part of a strategic initiative by the Accounting and Finance Section to enhance students’ career development and strengthen engagement with the fintech ecosystem. The feedback from employers, Fintech Wales, and, most importantly, our students was overwhelmingly positive. The team are looking forward to building on this momentum through future initiatives.

The Accounting and Finance Section extend their sincere appreciation to all participants, colleagues, and partners, in particular Rhys Griffiths from the Fintech Wales, and the Employer Engagement Team, for their invaluable contributions to the event’s success.