GCU launches mentoring scheme for women in finance

Female finance students from GCU will receive one-to-one mentoring from women in the financial services sector under a pilot scheme aimed at addressing gender diversity in the industry.

The mentorship programme will see 30 final-year students, studying courses relating to financial services and risk management, matched with 30 women working for Barclays and Morgan Stanley in Glasgow.

Mentors and mentees will provide feedback over the course of the six-month pilot and the career progression of the students involved will be tracked following their graduation.

Staff from Glasgow School for Business and Society (GSBS) developed the mentoring programme to provide positive role models for the students and help build their knowledge, skills, and confidence as they enter the job market.

Dr Shirley Rate, Associate Dean of Learning, Teaching and Quality at GSBS, said: “We are thrilled that so many women from the financial sector have volunteered to take on the mentor role and we look forward to working with both mentors and students on this exciting project.”

The students involved in the pilot are drawn from three BSc (Hons) undergraduate courses - Finance, Investment and Risk, Risk Management and Accountancy. A number of the mentors are GCU alumni after completing postgraduate and honours degrees.

Charlotte Savage, who is studying Finance, Investment and Risk, said: "Everyone who walks into a job interview will have a degree, so I was looking for something that would really set me apart from the rest of the crowd."

Christine Elliott, a compliance officer at Barclays and one of the mentors, said: "As a GCU graduate myself, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my skills and experience.

"Mentoring can play such an important role in shaping future careers, and I am convinced that this programme will not only offer personal development for the students but an invaluable insight into the broad range of potential career paths open to them.”

Sharon Hamilton, Director of Financial and Business Services at Scottish Enterprise, said: "This is a wonderful programme and a great example of collaborative working."

Margaret Johnson, Executive Director of Human Resources at Morgan Stanley, said: "Morgan Stanley is delighted to be supporting this project through our Women’s Business Alliance.

"Female employees from our Operations, Finance, Fund Service’s and Technology divisions, are looking forward to sharing their skills and knowledge of the industry."

GCU is part of the University Forum of Glasgow Economic Leadership (GEL)’s Finance and Business Services Work stream, which is focused on the development of skills and talent. The University has been recognised for its commitment to promoting gender equality in science, technology, and engineering by attaining the prestigious Athena Swan Bronze Award, from the Equality Challenge Unit.