Department of Accounting and Finance wins national employability award
Strathclyde Business School's Department of Accounting and Finance has been recognised for its outstanding commitment to student employability, winning the 'Technology for Employability' category at the inaugural AGCAS Academic Employability Awards.
The award was in recognition for Strathclyde's collaboration with AmplifyME and the annual finance simulation bootcamp offered to students as a result.
Strathclyde was the only Scottish university to receive an award at the ceremony, held on April 25 in London, which celebrated excellence in embedding employability across higher education institutions in the UK and Ireland. Strathclyde was up against seven other shortlisted institutions in the Technology for Employability category.
The Academic Employability Awards are a prestigious new set of awards for the higher education sector in the UK and Ireland. The awards celebrate excellence in teaching employability skills in the curriculum and provide a platform to share good practice across the higher education sector. AGCAS received 240 entries from over 80 universities and the Department of Accounting and Fiannace was one of only 10 winners on the evening.
Judges commended the department’s innovative collaboration with AmplifyME, a platform that helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical demands of the banking and investment industries, saying the partnership was a "unique intervention to bridge theory and practice in the competitive banking and investment sector.” The annual bootcamp was praised for providing students with valuable, hands-on experience that enhances their career readiness.
Professor Graeme Acheson, Head of the Accounting and Finance Department, said, "This award is fantastic recognition of a great initiative. Our Amplify bootcamp is a truly innovative way to bring financial markets into the classroom and enhance the student experience. It was an honour to pick up the award on behalf of the department."
Through initiatives such as the Finance Simulation Bootcamp, a Level 5 Accredited programme, Strathclyde’s Accounting and Finance students engage directly with the same simulation technology used by leading global institutions including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, and the Bank of China.
During the five-day bootcamp, students rotate through investment bank and asset management roles, manage multi-asset portfolios, and experience live trading scenarios. This immersive experience, coupled with insights into IPO processes and algorithmic trading with Python, equips students with the skills needed to thrive in the financial sector.
Martin Edmondson, CEO of AGCAS, said, “The exceptional standard of submissions underscores the pioneering work being done to integrate employability into teaching, assessment, and curriculum design. These initiatives are not only transforming student futures but also addressing the skills needs of employers and the wider economy.”
The AGCAS Academic Employability Awards, in partnership with Universities UK, GuildHE, and the Institute of Student Employers, are generously supported by corporate partners Virtual Internships and Gradcore. Winning entries will be published by AGCAS to inspire more academics to embed employability in their teaching practice.
Published: 28 April 2025
