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Bahrain FinTech Bay’s National FinTech Talent Programme (FTP) has officially kicked off with its first batch of 25 Bahraini candidates.
The first cohort will be part of a specialised roadmap that will offer unique opportunities to develop their professional skills and gain insightful experience in the latest FinTech trends and technologies on a global scale.
The programme started accepting applications in early January and a successful batch of 50 ‘high-calibre’ candidates progressed to an exclusive career fair exposing them to around 15 employers, including speed networking, as well as breakout sessions, at the event.
Following the candidate’s performance at the FinTech and Innovation Career Fair, 25 candidates have been placed within FinTech and innovation-related internship roles for a period of six months.
The accepted candidates start their journey by receiving mentorship from global partners of Bahrain FinTech Bay and will complete training on FinTech verticals focusing on block-chain and artificial intelligence run by SettleMint, Blockchain Academy Global and TAIGER A.I. Academy.
In parallel to their internships, candidates will be enrolled on a three-month professional development course in FinTech delivered by the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. The semi-annual programme will be delivered in a combination of live and online modules certified by Georgetown.
The certification comprises of seven modules and four case-studies led by Professor Jim Angel, Associate Professor of Finance, and co-inventor of 12 FinTech patents.
He said: “The financial services industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. New technology enables us to offer services, products and interact with consumers like we could never do before.”
Additionally, the course will be hosting local and international guest speakers, the entrepreneurial community and ‘thought leaders’ from the financial services industry.
Khalid Saad, CEO, Bahrain FinTech Bay said: “As the FinTech ecosystem in Bahrain and the region transforms further, the development of talent to continue and sustain such transformation is key.
“Initiating the region’s first National FinTech Talent Programme with Tamkeen is a key step in the development of such talent.
“Through training and job placement opportunities within our partner network, we aim to develop a generation of leaders that will be able to take the industry forward and support Bahrain’s transition into a knowledge and innovation driven economy.”
Bahrain FinTech Bay is considered the leading hub in Middle East, conveniently in the Arcapita Building on Bahrain Bay. It provides a physical hub to incubate insightful, scalable and impactful FinTech initiatives through innovation labs, acceleration programmes, curated activities, educational opportunities and collaborative platforms.
Bahrain FinTech Bay partners with governmental bodies, financial institutions, corporates, consultancy firms, universities, associations, media agencies, venture capital and FinTech startups with the aim of bringing the full spectrum of financial market participants and stakeholders together.
The National FinTech Talent Programme focuses on the development of Bahrain’s FinTech ecosystem and ensures Bahrainis master the skills and knowledge to capitalise on the new opportunities created by FinTech disruption. It’s a one-of-a kind FinTech initiative for Bahraini university graduates, who will have the opportunity to develop their professional skills and gain insightful experience in the latest FinTech trends and technologies on a global scale.
For more information on the National FinTech Talent Program, visit www.fintech-institute.com/ftp
FACT FILE
Professor Angel, known as ‘Dr Jim’ specialises in the market structure and regulation of global financial markets, and he has visited more than 70 financial exchanges around the world.
He teaches undergraduate, MBA and executive courses, including Investments and Capital Markets.
Dr Jim has testified before the US Congress about issues relating to the design of financial markets. In addition, he has been quoted in hundreds of newspaper articles and has appeared numerous times on radio and television.
Dr Jim began his professional career as a rate engineer at Pacific Gas and Electric, where he worked on FERC and CPUC related issues. Along the way he has also worked at BARRA (later part of Morgan Stanley) where he developed equity risk models.
He has also served as a Visiting Academic Fellow in residence at the US National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD – now FINRA) and also as a visiting economist at the Shanghai Stock Exchange. He has also been chairman of the Nasdaq Economic Advisory Board, a member of the OTC Bulletin Board Advisory Committee, and has served on the board of directors of the Direct Edge Stock Exchanges (later part of BATS Global Markets).
From 2012-2014 he was a visiting associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Angel is a co-inventor on 12 FinTech patents. He is now Associate Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University which boasts a Master of Science in Finance (MSF) programme, renowned for helping to transform today’s best professionals into rising industry leaders. It was created by the distinguished faculty of the McDonough School of Business.
