The Fintech Talent Development,Competency, and Manpower Study

The Fintech Talent Development, Competency, and Manpower Study 15 Executive Summary • Training and education initiatives should give priority to mid or low-level staff. While senior management is found to be capable in meeting business requirements in the fintech industry, managerial and operation level staff are lagging behind. • Cybersecurity, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Design Thinking are skills which are in acute demand. The industry, government, and education institutions should join hands in developing industry-wide training programs in these areas. • A professional qualification on fintech could be developed to ensure the skills and knowledge of professionals meet the need of the fintech industry. • To fill the talent gap quickly, fintech training and education programs could be delivered online. • To update education programs in primary and secondary schools to ensure that Hong Kong has sufficient talent with the soft skills to help organizations and the fintech industry flourish. Soft skills take more time to master, and are best mastered when young. • To facilitate the diffusion of knowhow and expertise in the industry, a job board on fintech career opportunities could be created for job seekers to fill positions in the fintech industry. • Overseas and Mainland fintech professionals is a good source of talent. Given the shortage of fintech talent in the short and medium term, fintech could be highlighted as a priority area of the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). • Fintech is an emerging academic discipline involving finance, technology, regulation, and policy. As its intellectual foundation is under development, Hong Kong can become a thought leader in the global development of fintech. The industry, government, and universities should join hands to establish a leading research institute to address the fundamental intellectual fintech issues with significant practical ramifications.