Scholarship winner announced as fears grow for fintech recruitment

This year’s Fintech Scholarship winner has been announced as Jody Nwaelene from the University of Warwick.

Jody, who recently completed her Engineering BEng, and has had internships and career experiences with Microsoft, Blackrock and MAN group, won the competition with her innovative thoughts on how fintech is transforming the world with its powerful technological solutions, and how she wants to be part of this emerging evolution.

The Quotezone Fintech Scholarship, now in its fifth year, was created after research by fintech giant Seopa Ltd. showed students were in need of more industry-relevant experience and financial support, to help them onto the career ladder. 

Students from across the UK were encouraged to enter by sharing their concerns on key issues they face and their thoughts on the fintech sector.  Aiming to reward those students who are keen to research the emerging industry, Seopa awarded a £1000 bursary and the opportunity for fintech related work experience, to help support recruitment efforts. 

The entry process allowed students to express their concerns.  Quotezone found the biggest issue students currently have is competition for graduate jobs, with the majority of the applicants worried they won’t be able to find employment without additional training or experience, which is hard to come by.

Another major concern was the lack of information about the various sectors available to them and what a career in those sectors could look like, with requests made for education at an earlier stage, to help them choose a university degree with more understanding of the long-term career prospects. 

Quotezone Fintech Scholarship winner and former president of the largest STEM society at the University of Warwick,  Jody Nwaelene, comments:  “Career support at school and university often focuses on traditional routes, leaving out emerging industries like fintech or green energy. This lack of exposure leads to uninformed career decisions, underdeveloped skills for modern roles, and missed opportunities. Clearer, earlier engagement from diverse industries could empower students to make more confident decisions and help futureproof career choices.”

Seopa Ltd. is a major UK fintech firm – as the parent company of leading price comparison sites Quotezone.co.uk across Great Britain and CompareNI.com across Northern Ireland.

Seopa Founder and Quotezone.co.uk CEO Greg Wilson comments: “Fintech is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK, employing over 76,000 people across a diverse range of skillsets.  

“It’s important for us to work with young people and get an understanding of the barriers they’re facing to recruitment and any hesitation they might have in exploring the fintech industry.

“The research suggests a disconnect between these lucrative and innovative industries and the information available to students before they make their choices on higher education.  The study suggests more needs to be done to make younger students in secondary education aware of the fintech sector and all the opportunities it holds for successful and challenging careers, something we will be reviewing here at Seopa for our 2026 Fintech Scholarship opportunity.”

Two Fintech Scholarship winners were selected by Seopa in 2025, one from Great Britain and one from Northern Ireland, each receiving a £1000 bursary and the opportunity to take part in industry related work experience at Seopa Ltd. – gaining vital fintech sector experience to help stand-out in the challenging graduate recruitment market. 

About Quotezone.co.uk / CompareNI.com

• Seopa, the parent company of Quotezone.co.uk and CompareNI.com, was founded by the Northern Irish entrepreneur, Greg Wilson, in 2003.
• From its headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Greg Wilson, CEO, and Ian Wilson, Managing Director, have grown the company to over 80 team members spread across two European offices.
• CompareNI.com has grown to become Northern Ireland’s number one price comparison platform, while the company’s Quotezone.co.uk platform is one of the leading insurance comparison sites in the UK.
• The company has been recognised with six Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards, and has been awarded a Deloitte Best Managed Company Award each year for the past eight years – now a Platinum Standard Best Managed Company for the second year.