Financial technology is what makes our modern lives possible and it’s an industry in growing need of an educated and skilled workforce. The School of Business at the University of Connecticut has launched a Master’s program this week to answer that demand.
The Academic Director of the program, John Wilson, joined Morning Edition to discuss why companies and start-ups are looking for employees with a new kind of education.
"They [companies and start ups] really value students who are foundationally (sic) strong in a diversified set of skills that includes business, technology, programming and, increasingly, technologies like blockchain," Wilson said.
He said UConn's FinTech program is one of only a handful in the nation. It is being offered out of the Hartford campus, but will eventually also be offered at the campus in Stamford, where local leaders have hoped to woo companies away from New York City.
Stamford mayor Caroline Simmons told Connecticut Public Radio in November that she hopes the move of the FinTech company, Digital Currency Group, to Stamford can help the city become a hub for blockchain technology jobs, as DCG plans to hire about 100 workers in the next year.
“We’re excited to work with them to make Stamford the crypto capital of the country,” Simmons said. “We know other cities like New York City and Miami are at the forefront of this, and we think we have all the assets right here in Stamford.”
