Dr Kostas Bozos - Leeds University

Building a pipeline of sustainable hires...

We first engaged with AmplifyME in 2014 when they delivered the first week-long Trading-focused Bootcamp for all our MSc students. It was attended by more than 200 individuals hailing from diverse programs like Accounting and Finance, Actuarial Finance, Banking, and International Finance.

Students were launched onto a purpose-designed ‘trading floor’, directly linked to live financial market data and it was from this experience that our long-standing partnership has grown.

This simulations give students a practical understanding of the intricate financial landscape, whilst refining their professional acumen and improving their confidence at the same time.

Our ongoing benefits of our partnership are to:

• Bridge the geographical gap between its location in the North of England and the City of London, by allowing its students access to facilities, opportunities and networks which are not easily accessible from Leeds.
• Prepare students for interviews at relevant assessment centres by enhancing their commercial acumen and increase their confidence.
• Enhance our award-winning, heavily theoretical curriculum with the more practical and ‘hands-on’ aspects of the modern world of finance, facilitating an even deeper understanding of the theoretical underpinnings taught throughout the course of the programme.
• Give students access to the same platforms and technology used by the world's leading Investment Banks and Hedge Funds

In the 9 years that have followed, AmplifyME have not only expanded their role-specific simulations, but also tailored their 5-day Bootcamps in a way that builds on the academic theory even more, whilst providing our students with enhanced relevant professional opportunities as part of our Finance Masters programmes.

Our students love the experiences, regularly telling us how much their understanding of markets is enhanced and since embedding this practical experience across all MSc studies at the Business School.

The impact

• As a direct result of this initiative, our MSc Accounting and Finance programme was included in the Financial Times Master’s in Finance Pre-Experience, ranking as one of the world’s top finance programmes.
• We are 2nd globally for percentage salary increase and 6th in the UK for careers progress.
• Students consistently rate the Bootcamps as excellent in feedback surveys.