23 Mar 2009

More than 700 apprentices enrolled with the National Skills Academy for Financial Services

Apprenticeships are work-based learning programmes that allow the apprentice to gain qualifications relevant to the financial services industry while working. The employer-led Skills Academy delivers a range of apprenticeships across the financial services industry that enables students to achieve professional qualifications accredited by bodies including the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) the Securities & Investment Institute (SII) and the IFS School of Finance.

Available courses cover appropriate exams required by the regulator, the FSA, for certain regulated activities such as:

• investment administration
• pensions
• mortgage
• insurance
• providing financial advice

The Apprenticeships have been designed by the Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) with insight from employers from across the industry in response to their needs. A core part of the apprenticeship course involves students receiving valuable practical training to meet training and competence schemes, as well as numeracy and business communications.

The Apprenticeships provide a real opportunity for employers to have a cost effective solution to meet their training requirements. In many cases the training delivered by the Skills Academy will be cost neutral to employers and in these challenging times that is a real business benefit to financial services.

With high-profile television programmes and companies revisiting their training needs in today’s economic climate, apprentices have become popular and are helping the industry tackle recruitment freezes and training needs. With 711 students already enrolled as an apprentice with the National Skills Academy and a further 1,000 preparing to enrol, the popularity of apprentices is extending into the financial services industry.

Employers who would like to find out more about apprenticeships across the financial services industry and how an apprentice could help their business can contact the Academy on 0845 618 2353.

Sylvia Perrins, National Director, National Skills Academy for Financial Services, said: “Apprentices add real value to a business – and the fact that over 700 have enrolled this year shows there is a huge demand for them. Not only do apprentices receive technical training, they also learn essential practical business skills. Indeed, this is a qualification developed by the industry for industry.

“The students themselves benefit from a mentoring process that is designed to help them every step of the way – and of course, they earn while they learn which will hopefully enable them to complete a course without running up enormous debts in the process.”

The Academy offers national centres of excellence in education, skills training and development, working in partnership with government and training providers to develop a workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to match the best in the world.

Notes to Editors

1. The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is a not for profit company limited by guarantee which was created with the express purpose of delivering world-class education and training aligned with employer needs in the financial services industry to people of all age groups and learning backgrounds, helping them to prepare for and develop financial services careers. For more about the National Skills Academy for Financial Services or to get involved with us, email info@nsafs.co.uk.

1. Sylvia Perrins is the National Director of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services. Sylvia took up her post in January 2007. Prior to her appointment, she was Director of Business Development and Planning at Westminster Kingsway College of Further Education in London, having also held the position of Director of Strategy & Innovation at the same institution from 2001 to 2003. From 1997 to 2001 she was Assistant Principal Finance and Information Systems at Orpington College of FE in Kent. She started her working life as a financial and business analyst, being employed at British Petroleum plc for seven years, followed by a period of self employment. She holds an MBA, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics and is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA). Sylvia is a Non Executive Director of the Queen Elizabeth Trust.

   For further information please contact Roland Cross/Sarah Evans-Toyne/James Bishop/Tania Vie Riba (Broadgate) 020
   7726 6111 or email nsafs@bgate.co.uk.

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