Georgia is a fintech hotbed, with more than 40,000 people in the state employed in the industry, thanks largely to 'Transaction Alley', where around 70% of all US payments are processed.

And the sector is expecting to continue to grow, with an associated escalating demand for talent, including a need for 5000 new hires by 2020 - 95% of whom must possess industry-specific functional experience.

To help create a talent pool, all 26 institutions in the state's university system are backing the new fintech academy, which will prepare individuals to enter fintech or transition from another career through degree programmes, executive and continuing education, and apprenticeships and internships.

Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. says: "The Georgia FinTech Academy is an innovative response to the call from the fintech industry for more and better workers. With the strength of all 26 institutions of the University System of Georgia behind it, I believe fintech will see immediate results from this new programme."

A curriculum has been developed in conjunction with fintech employers to address their priority needs, with virtual access to online courses and degrees through USG’s eCampus and cloud-based talent development programmes. In addition, the academy has two physical locations, both located in Atlanta at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business.

FIS, which has offices in Atlanta, is one of the firms backing the effort. Denise Williams, chief people officer at the vendor, says: "The academy represents a true partnership between a visionary university system and the corporate world to accelerate the development of tomorrow’s fintech talent."