ICYMI: Georgia Department of Education, University System of Georgia partner on FinTech Career Pathway

In case you missed the news, the Georgia Department of Education and the University System of Georgia are partnering to create a high school Career Pathway program that focuses specifically on financial technology.

Georgia has emerged as a leader in FinTech, largely because of the investments the state continues to make in developing a skilled pipeline of talent.

In early September, Governor Kemp announced that Fortune 1000 company Deluxe will establish a new office complex along with a FinTech and Customer Innovation Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia, creating more than 700 FinTech-related jobs.

When the Marietta Daily-Journal asked Deluxe CEO Barry McCarthy, “Why Georgia?” here’s what he had to say:

“We did a national-level search for the location of these two centers, and Georgia rose to the top of the list because of the extraordinary concentration of fintech and payment companies in the metro area and the incredible job the state has done in supporting the industry…We were pretty clear our center should be in Georgia because our company needs the talent Georgia offers…We’re very proud of our legacy as a check printer, but we’re increasingly becoming a payment and cloud services company. That means we need to be where the fintech talent and talent in payment and cloud services are.”
— Barry McCarthy, CEO Deluxe

Deluxe is not the first company to cite the state’s strong FinTech talent as a reason for investing in and bringing jobs to Georgia. In fact, 11 new FinTech companies have chosen to locate in Georgia since 2016, creating 1,990 jobs and $64.9 million in investment – and jobs and investments from expansions of companies already located in the state during the same time period are much higher.

Forward-thinking initiatives like the FinTech Career Pathway program will help the state continue to outpace the national average in both attracting and educating tech talent – and thus attract even more companies to create jobs and opportunities for Georgians.

Read the full press release below:

Georgia Department of Education, University System of Georgia partner on FinTech Career Pathway
Students can gain college credit for high school FinTech courses

The Georgia Department of Education and the University System of Georgia have partnered to create a high-school Career Pathway focused on financial technology (FinTech), which aligns to USG's associates-level FinTech degree program.

Georgia is an emerging leader in FinTech – the industry which uses technology to offer various financial services to consumers. Seventy percent of all financial transactions worldwide pass through Georgia, and there is an immediate need for skilled employees.

“The mission of our Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education program is to respond nimbly and quickly to workforce needs so students have the best possible opportunities for a successful future,"

State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “This is a perfect example of a partnership that will expand options for students and strengthen the local workforce in our state."

The high school FinTech pathway contains three courses modeled on those in the USG degree program. The courses may be offered as a standard high school pathway, or can be offered for dual high-school and college credit. Students may also take the remaining two required FinTech courses and academic courses through dual enrollment, making it possible for a student to graduate high school with the USG degree program completed.

An articulation agreement has been created collaboratively between USG and GaDOE that allows college credit to be granted for these three courses when the teacher possesses certain teaching credentials required by USG. Articulation will provide students with college credit without the additional costs associated with dual enrollment.

Business and industry representatives, USG partners, and high-school educators in finance and computer science content worked together to develop the USG courses into high-school courses while remaining their rigor, content, and integrity.

Georgia's Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) program delivers real-world, workforce-ready skills for Georgia students – options that can lead to higher education, military service, apprenticeship or directly into a rewarding career. CTAE helps students develop employability skills and strengthens the pipeline for local and regional industries.