University students will now be able to develop real-world skills in financial investment and funds management, thanks to a brand new lab located in the heart of Parramatta.
Western Sydney University’s (WSU) School of Business has officially launched a state-of-the-art training facility that plans to “set students up for success.”
The first of its kind in the Parramatta CBD, the Financial Training Lab emulates a real trading floor and seeks to complement the development and growth of data-intensive subjects in financial technology.
The facility features 40 terminals where students will be able to work in teams of five using data.
The data, provided by global financial data company FactSet, will assist students to make informed and responsible investment decisions and portfolio management in a simulated environment.
Professor Amir Mahmood, Dean of the School of Business, said the Financial Training Lab will help students to get experience and develop their skills, making them employment ready.
“This bespoke facility will provide students with an enhanced understanding of what it means for companies to list and trade in various futures and to attract capital through public offerings, developing their practical skills in different scenarios,” Mahmood said.
“As part of the initiative, students will have the opportunity to create their own portfolio of simulated investments and will be able to track that set of investments over time, comparing their performance to their peers as well as track it against industry benchmarks.”
Located in WSUs Peter Shergold Building, the immersive training space will help to enhance the School of Business’ teaching, research and community engagement activities.
It will also be available for private sector enterprises seeking to upskill their staff, as well as collaboration with government and community organisations that are looking to support the financial literacy of disadvantaged groups.
Parramatta resident and PhD candidate Junxin Chen, one of the students who will use the facility as part of his learning, said the Financial Training Lab will be another useful resource to help him with his research.
“It provides a real-time financial database, such as FactSet, which can help students understand the real-time operation of the global financial market and provide them with real-world experience,” he said.
“The lab provides relevant training to help students understand what kind of capabilities they need to develop for their future work.
“It is a platform for students, financial analysts, researchers, and people from the community to communicate, which is beneficial for students’ career planning and career development.”
To find out more about WSUs School of Business head to http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/schools/sobus.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.