Applications open for CFA Institute ‘Young Women in Investment’ initiative 2022
Mumbai : CFA Institute, the global association of investment management professionals, invites applications for its 4th edition of the ‘Young Women in Investment’ initiative. A mission driven and completely free initiative, ‘Young Women in Investment’ offers 40 selected eligible women an opportunity to enter the field of finance with the help of a boot camp followed by an industry internship. The initiative is open only to women, who are at least in their final year undergraduate program in any educational discipline, and Indian citizens. Applications will be accepted until 40 applicants are offered a place in the 2022 cohort or the end of March 2022, whichever is earlier. Any eligible woman can apply for this initiative at https://www.youngwomenininvestment.com/india
Diversity and inclusion remain a central issue across all industries. CFA Institute recognizes that a diversity of perspectives will lead to better investor outcomes and an inclusive investment industry will better serve our diverse society. We believe that an organization that promotes an inclusive culture is a better place to work for everyone, not just women and minorities” said Vidhu Shekhar, CFA, CIPM, country head, India, CFA Institute. “We are grateful to our institutional partners, whose support is encouraging more and more women to join the investment industry and to view it as a viable long-term career option.,” added Vidhu Shekhar.
The four-week intensive boot camp includes day-long sessions by professional trainers and industry practitioners on core finance, business, and soft skills. The boot camp will cover the basics of the investment industry – ethics, micro, and macroeconomics, industry participants and structures, regulations, risk management, financial statements, securities, alternative investments, data analytics, machine learning, etc. – and put a lot of stress on soft skills – writing, presenting networking. All the participants successfully completing the boot camp will be offered a stipend-paying internship for six months at a reputed financial institution in India.
“The ‘Young Women in Investment’ initiative is designed such that it helps candidates develop technical as well as soft skills. The curriculum covers financial modeling, asset classes, and new technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Critically, our initiative focuses on life skills like how to network and express oneself in group settings, and how to apply theory to practice. These aspects, alongside the guaranteed internship, will help participants develop a good understanding of the industry, a strong professional network and a foothold in the industry, and hopefully contribute to a more diversified investment industry. We know these are small steps, though we are already seeing the impact with the initiative now running in Brazil and Qatar, and scheduled to run in the UK, Spain and France.” said Amit Chakrabarty, Director, Institutional Partnerships India, CFA Institute
Launched in 2018, ‘Young Women in Investment’ is an initiative to create awareness about, instill interest in and enable women to view the investment management industry as a viable long-term career option. It is also an attempt to empower young women, looking to start a career, better understand the current flexibility within the industry and to address traditional concerns that the finance industry disproportionately rewards those that work long and inflexible hours. This is a part of the CFA Institute Women in Investment Management initiative to improve investor outcomes by encouraging gender diversity in the investment management profession.