Cardtrend, a software development company specialising in payment and fleet management, have been working with BCU to hire students through the university’s micro-placement programme.
In this article, Vashti Higgins, Head of Sales and Business Development, discusses the challenges of the sector and working with institutions such as BCU to bring in fresh talent to help keep up with industry changes.
Learning new perspectives
As a new entrant in the UK market, we want to build our talent pipeline and gain a deeper understanding of the skills and capabilities of students in this region. When we learned that BCU offered a Micro-Placement program to engage students through short-term, structured internships, we jumped at the opportunity. This program was particularly enticing for a business like ours because it allowed us to work with motivated, pre-screened students on real projects, while minimizing onboarding overhead and giving us flexibility to test talent in a practical setting.
The collaboration also enabled us to learn new perspectives and knowledge from emerging talent, while providing students with hands-on exposure to industry challenges and developing skills that are directly relevant to the workplace.
The Careers and Student Opportunities team at BCU was extremely supportive throughout the entire process. They started with an initial meeting to understand our roles and requirements, and they clearly explained the onboarding process for engaging with students. They also provided us with the Micro Placement Employer Handbook, which detailed the full process, and this was particularly helpful as it was our first time collaborating with BCU. Additionally, they shared a CV book, which made it easy for us to select candidates, as the team had already identified students whose skills and experience suited the roles we were looking to fill.
Overall, the process was well-structured, transparent and made it easy for us to engage effectively with students.
A growing tech ecosystem
We work in the payment technology and fleet management industries, which are continuously evolving due to digital transformation, regulatory changes and rising cybersecurity concerns. One of the most significant issues is the growing complexity of payment legislation and evolving compliance standards, which necessitates ongoing adaptation and strong technological competence.
The sector itself is shifting towards AI-driven automation and sustainability-focused fleet solutions, which are reshaping how payments and mobility management intersect. At Cardtrend, we view these new developments as opportunities to invest in innovation, collaboration and talent development to stay ahead of industry changes and deliver real value to our clients.
We were pleasantly surprised by the high quality of technical talent in Birmingham, thanks to the strong schools and educational institutions in the area. With its growing tech ecosystem, supportive initiatives, and recognition as a rising fintech hub in the UK, Birmingham is quickly emerging as a key destination for innovative businesses beyond London.
Leading innovation
Since partnering with BCU, the students have brought new knowledge and skills to our business. Building a mobile app was a new area for us, and through Jenny’s contributions, we learned about design tools, the creative process and key UI/UX considerations like colours and fonts. Similarly, working on VAT regulation and invoicing with Shahroz helped us understand where to access compliance information and navigate regulatory requirements more effectively.
Despite being new team members, they adapted exceptionally well to our company’s working culture and communicated effectively. They were a pleasure to work with, always willing to try new things, and we encouraged them to share their ideas freely. There was great synergy when guidance was provided.
The outcomes were beyond our expectations.
