9 Feb 2010

NSAFS to discuss recession, recovery and regulation at Thursday's conference

To help employers in the region meet the needs of the evolving regulatory climate and changing political and economic landscape, independent education charity the National Skills Academy for Financial Services (NSAFS) is hosting a conference for South West financial services employers. With more than 87,000 people employed in financial services, the industry is a key sector of the regional economy.

Titled “Recession, recovery and regulation”, the conference will be held this Thursday 11 February at the Exchange Conference Centre in Bridgwater and will focus on supporting businesses and assist them with their growth aspirations.

The Keynote speaker is John Penrose MP, Shadow Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform. In addition, and following the title of the conference, Alun Powell, Senior Economist at HSBC will give those attending a current view of ‘The State of the UK PLC’, and Jonathan Bundy, Senior Associate, Professional Standards Policy from the Financial Services Authority (FSA), will outline meeting the challenges of regulation.

Nigel Benton, NSAFS Regional Director in the South West says: “This is a landmark event for the Skills Academy in the region. Our core mission is to meet the needs of employers and it is rewarding to see so many of them supporting this conference. We will build on this for the good of the sector.”

NSAFS launched in the South West 12 months ago and is working with employers to provide a knowledgeable and supportive service that assists them with their skills and training requirements.

Sylvia Perrins, CEO of the NSAFS, comments: “I would encourage financial services employers in the South West to get in touch with Nigel to see how the NSAFS can work with them. Training and professional development of the current and future financial services workforce is crucial to recovery in the South West region”.

For more information visit: www.nsafs.co.uk

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Notes to Editors: 1. The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is a registered charity 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 see: www.nsafs.co.uk or email info@nsafs.co.uk

For further information please contact: Sarah Evans-Toyne, Tania Vie Riba or Saira Khan (Broadgate Mainland) 020 7726 6111 or email nsafs@broadgatemainland.com