Four students from Sri Lanka, India, Spain and Singapore will be spending a week’s work experience in July in London as part of a new global CISI initiative to support diversification and employability in the financial services profession.
The students are the winners of the inaugural Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) Global Education Trust Awards which have been launched this year. The Trust uses funds to solely support education initiatives in the public interest.
To enter the Awards, CISI global partner universities were invited to nominate students. The process for nomination differed across the regions but included either/or a combination of submission of a personal statement, an 800 word essay, interviews and presentations.
Tan Hui Ying of Temasek Polytechnic Singapore, Vivek Premnath of Jain University Bangalore, Xavier Ysarn Pelaez of Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona and Nilukshi Jayawardena of University of Colombo have achieved work placements with financial services firms in London organised by the CISI.
In addition to arranging the work placements CISI has covered the cost of flights and accommodation for all four students.
Tan Hui Ying from Singapore is completing a Diploma in Financial Business and Informatics. She will spend a week with wealth management firm Quilter Cheviot in London. She said: “During my work placement I look forward to learning more about London’s financial services industry, particularly as regards FinTech.”
Vivek Premnath from Bangalore has completed the CISI Introduction to Investment exam and is working towards completing the CISI Investment Operations Certificate. He will also spend a week with Quilter Cheviot in London and said: “I hope to get some invaluable corporate exposure and a practical outlook on the financial services industry. CISI has given me a learning experience that is beyond anything that books can offer and is an outstanding reward for academic achievement.”
Xavier Ysarn Pelaez of Barcelona is studying for a Masters in Financial Markets. He has a week’s work placement with Turquoise, part of the London Stock Exchange, in London. Xavier said: “I’m looking forward to learning how professionals in an important international financial market, such as London, think and work.”
Nilukshi Jayawardena of Sri Lanka has recently completed her Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) Degree in Finance. Her week’s work placement is with the Union Bank of India in London. Nilukshi said: “I feel this opportunity will give me a once in a lifetime chance to enhance my practical knowledge, which will be pivotal for enabling me to improve my employability. I’m looking forward to learning about the provision of financial services in a foreign jurisdiction, including obtaining know-how on how financial products are priced, pitched/marketed and the organisational culture.”
Kevin Moore, Chartered MCSI, CISI Director of Global Business Development said: “Each of our four achievers has worked extremely hard to get through the various stages of this process to gain their work placement and trip to London. We know that the firms they will be working with are excited to welcome them and to ensure these bright young people get the most out of their work placements.
“We hope their work experience week offers them an intense and useful insight into working in the financial services sector in London, an experience they can share in their home countries and use in their day-to-day work or studies.”