Education

To Meet Industry Demands, Ga. University System Announces New Fintech Academy

September 11th, 2018

USG says more than 40,000 Georgians are employed in fintech industries, which generate more than $72 billion in annual revenue.

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Georgia is serious about developing homegrown talent to fill jobs in the state’s fast-developing technology sector.

The University System of Georgia announced Tuesday a new Financial Technology (fintech) Academy that will train talent to fill jobs in the industry. Fintech includes investing, banking, and payment processing.

USG says more than 40,000 Georgians are employed in fintech industries, which generate more than $72 billion in annual revenue. Fintech is one of six sectors Gov. Nathan Deal identified in his High Demand Career Initiative.

“We realized we were going to drown in our own success if we didn’t have talented individuals to work for our companies,” says Scott Meyerhoff, CEO and CFO of fintech company InComm, which is teaching classes at the academy.

USG officials say businesses were willing to help shape curricula and teach courses. Denise Williams is the executive vice president and chief people officer for FIS, a global fintech company that invested a million dollars in the academy. She sees the partnership as a win/win situation.

“We’re in a talent war, and we can’t find fintech talent,” Williams says. “So, we feel like this partnership will be great, not only for the education of the students in this region but also for us.”

The USG says continued growth of the state’s fintech sector will depend on whether it can meet the demand for talent. Officials hope that’s what the academy will help them do.

The GFA will have two physical locations: one on Georgia State University’s campus and another in Buckhead. Students will also be able to take online courses through the academy.