Hana Financial, FSS join hands to nurture next-gen finance talent

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, front row center, Financial Supervisory Service Senior Deputy Gov. Kim Seong-wook, second row left, and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks, second row center, pose with attendees for a selfie during a launch ceremony for a youth training program at the financial group’s headquarters in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

Hana Financial Group launched a youth training program aimed at developing future finance talent, the group said Tuesday.

The program, designed to provide hands-on training opportunities for young people seeking careers in finance, is also backed by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.

The launch event, which took place at the group's headquarters in Seoul, Monday, included a competition session to select participants for a three-month training course running through July.

Among the attendees were Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, FSS Senior Deputy Gov. Kim Seong-wook, British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks, Future for Youth Foundation Chairman Lee Hoon-kyu and Um Jong-hwan, head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) at SK Telecom.

Twenty teams of university students took part in the competition, presenting financial service ideas using technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and cloud data.

"This project is meaningful in that it supports youth employment while helping young people build capabilities in areas such as AI and green transition. I hope it gives participants an opportunity to gain practical digital and ESG knowledge applicable in the financial sector," Kim said.

"The future competitiveness of the financial industry depends on how well we foster and secure talent," Ham said. "We will fully support participants so they can grow into leaders in financial innovation."

According to Hana Financial Group, selected participants will undergo training covering financial markets, ESG and consumer protection, along with digital skills such as data analysis and generative AI applications.

They will also take part in team projects mentored by the group's employees and a hackathon in collaboration with SK Telecom focused on developing financial services for marginalized groups.

Top performers will receive a combined 30 million won ($20,400) in prize money, with the top three teams offered overseas trips. Program graduates will also receive preferential hiring consideration with the group.

Since 2022, Hana Financial and the FSS have jointly run youth finance training programs as part of a public-private partnership, with 117 participants completing the course.