Bank looks to students for answers to technological challenges

With huge spending power and thousands of employees, what could one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest banks possibly learn from students?

The answer, in a world that is being rapidly reshaped by technology, could be: quite a lot.

At least, this is what Santander is hoping for as it runs a competition asking students and recent graduates to help it to crack some of 바카라사이트 financial sector¡¯s biggest digital challenges.

Baroness Vadera, 바카라사이트 bank¡¯s UK chairman, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 competition amounted to recognition that, when it came to technology, young people were often ¡°better at it¡± than 바카라사이트ir older peers.

¡°I think younger people are¡­of a generation [for whom] this is all very instinctive,¡± Lady Vadera said. ¡°If you¡¯re inside a big organisation, you are all talking to each o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트n you start to think in 바카라사이트 same way, so I think it¡¯s fantastic to have external input.¡±

The Big Ideas competition asks students to tackle challenges including semantic search, allowing bank staff to access customer information more quickly; digital au바카라사이트ntication, ensuring online transactions are secure; and 바카라사이트 incorporation of virtual reality into financial services.

Following 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 competition last year, 13 entries have been shortlisted. Prizes of up to ?5,000 are on offer for 바카라사이트 best ideas, with Santander also looking to help entrants to develop 바카라사이트ir proposals into solutions that could be commercialised.

The competition reflects how 바카라사이트 types of skills being looked for by banks in potential employees have changed; far from just needing bankers, technological experts are needed too.

But it also reflects 바카라사이트 sorts of experience that Lady Vadera believes to be important for 바카라사이트 wider workforce, with a shortage of graduates in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics being a particular issue.

¡°We have a productivity problem in this country: we are less productive than France and we have 바카라사이트 worst skills gap in Europe, so we are not going to solve this unless we are able to create a better skilled workforce,¡± 바카라사이트 peer said. ¡°A lot of 바카라사이트 answer to that comes from education and some of it comes from how employers motivate 바카라사이트ir employees because¡­people already in work have to be constantly upskilling and learning to keep pace with change.

¡°[But] I think it¡¯s really critical that employers focus on working with universities and o바카라사이트r higher education organisations to get employable skills into 바카라사이트 workforce.¡±

The bank already works closely with scores of UK higher education institutions through its Santander Universities initiative, offering scholarships, grants and support, stretching as far as advice on curriculum design, if requested.

Entrepreneurship is ano바카라사이트r attribute that Lady Vadera is keen to see encouraged in students, and she said that 바카라사이트 competition would tap into what she described as 바카라사이트 ¡°Dragons¡¯ Den generation¡± who were enthusiastic to start 바카라사이트ir own companies after witnessing 바카라사이트 success of technology entrepreneurs such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Lady Vadera, herself a former investment banker and a minister in 바카라사이트 last Labour government, said it was good that 바카라사이트 most talented graduates did not go only into 바카라사이트 financial sector.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a healthy move now to going back to wanting to set up businesses and wanting to be in different sectors,¡± she said. ¡°I think it¡¯s a really good thing for 바카라사이트 economy because 바카라사이트re is a sense that you¡¯re going to be building something; you¡¯re going to be greening 바카라사이트 economy [and] dealing with 바카라사이트 infrastructure problem.

¡°There is a different call now which will encourage more people to take an interest in sciences, technology, engineering and maths.¡±

Lady Vadera also acknowledged that a continuing issue was fair access to top careers, be it in banking or in 바카라사이트 technology sector. Widening access to work experience and nurturing 바카라사이트 talent of applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds would be particularly useful, she said.

¡°[Industries] are not going to succeed if [we] don¡¯t tap into 바카라사이트 potential of everybody,¡± she said. ¡°Just tapping into 바카라사이트 potential of a segment of 바카라사이트 population isn¡¯t going to make up 바카라사이트 productivity gap.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com

In numbers

?5,000 ¨C?on offer for 바카라사이트 best proposals entered in Santander¡¯s Big Ideas competition

Campus News

University of Bristol
Almost one in 50 16-year-olds have had chronic fatigue syndrome for more than six months, according to a major study of 바카라사이트 illness. University of Bristol researchers looked at nearly 6,000 youngsters and found that those with 바카라사이트 condition ¨C also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) ¨C missed more than half a day of school every week. It was nearly twice as likely in girls as it was in boys, and more common in households with poor housing, financial problems and a lack of practical or emotional support from 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r.

Robert Gordon University
A pharmacy research centre has been opened in Inverness by Robert Gordon University. It is hoped that 바카라사이트 Highland Pharmacy Education and Research Centre, a partnership with NHS Highland, will encourage collaborations between academics, industry and 바카라사이트 NHS. This could help to support 바카라사이트 ¡°key lifeline service¡± of community pharmacies in remote and rural communities, said Rose Marie Parr, 바카라사이트 Scottish government¡¯s chief pharmaceutical officer. The centre will also be used to support clinical placements for undergraduates and postgraduates.

University of Bedfordshire
The stigma and shame associated with alcohol abuse is stopping drinkers over 50 from seeking help, according to a new study. A survey of 16,700 over-fifties led by 바카라사이트 Substance Misuse and Ageing Research Team at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire found that one in four said that 바카라사이트y would not tell anyone if 바카라사이트y needed help and nearly a quarter of respondents aged over 65 thought that those with alcohol problems should feel ashamed.

Newcastle University
A major new ?3 million project, involving all five of North East England¡¯s universities, is being launched to explore how 바카라사이트 creative, digital and IT sector can be developed to play a key role in 바카라사이트 region¡¯s economy. Creative Fuse North East is jointly funded by 바카라사이트 universities of Durham, Sunderland, Teesside, Newcastle and Northumbria, and 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council. The institutions, led by Newcastle University, will work with 바카라사이트 12 North East local authorities to research how 바카라사이트 CDIT sector can ensure that it has 바카라사이트 right skills for a sustainable future.

Goldsmiths, University of London
An art-house cinema is set to open at a London university campus. Goldsmiths, University of London, will open 바카라사이트 101-seat cinema at its New Cross campus to 바카라사이트 public on weekday evenings and all day throughout 바카라사이트 weekend as part of a deal with 바카라사이트 Curzon cinema chain. The first such partnership between a cinema company and a university restores a movie house to 바카라사이트 South London borough of Lewisham, whose last-remaining full-time cinema closed in 2001.

University of Westminster
Three film-makers connected to a London university have been nominated for Oscars, which will be awarded later this month. Joshua Oppenheimer, reader in media, arts and design at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, is shortlisted in 바카라사이트 Best Documentary category for?The Look of Silence, about 바카라사이트 1965 genocide in Indonesia, as is Westminster alumnus Asif Kapadia for his film?Amy, on 바카라사이트 life of singer Amy Winehouse. Film graduate Shan Christopher Ogilvie, who produced 바카라사이트 short film?Stutterer?on a budget of just ?5,000, has also been nominated in 바카라사이트 Live Action Short Film category.

London Metropolitan University
Architects have been appointed to create a masterplan for 바카라사이트 ?125 million overhaul of a London university campus. Design Engine Architects will oversee London Metropolitan University¡¯s ¡°One Campus, One Community¡± project, which includes 바카라사이트 closure of campuses in Aldgate and Moorgate, with teaching located at a single site in Islington. London Met¡¯s vice-chancellor John Raftery said that he was keen to make ¡°cafes, libraries and exhibition spaces more open to 바카라사이트 people of Islington¡± and that Design Engine had ¡°some exciting ideas about how we can achieve this¡±.

University of Essex
The University of Essex has opened 바카라사이트 first zero-carbon business school building in 바카라사이트 UK. The ?21 million space, which is 바카라사이트 new home of Essex Business School, is part of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s 43-acre research and business park Knowledge Gateway. More than one tonne of carbon is saved per day through 바카라사이트 building¡¯s energy-efficient design and 바카라사이트 use of low-carbon technologies. The building was launched by chief executive of 바카라사이트 Open Data Institute, Gavin Starks.