Securities Institutes revamps courses for FSR

TheSecurities Institutehas revised its open entry financial planning courses ahead of schedule to ensure they meet with theAustralian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) requirements under the incoming Financial Services Reform regime.

The courses, which weren’t scheduled for review until next year, were restructured following extensive consultation with the industry, according to Securities Institute general manager for learning and development Marilyn Hill.

“What emerged in the review process is that while the industry is going through tremendous change, there is broad recognition that education for ASIC compliance must be done professionally and cost efficiently,” Hill says.

“The sheer enormity of ensuring that every financial adviser offering personal advice is ASIC compliant has highlighted the need for education bodies to provide flexible programs that meet the professional needs of practitioners.”

Utilising flexible assessment and online learning resources, the 2004 courses are structured around core knowledge and skill sets using practical case studies, with the accelerated program also providing a faster pathway to the institute’s postgraduate courses.

“We have engineered our courses to focus not only on specialist knowledge, but on the essential, practical skills that will enable the financial planning industry to get on with the job better and faster,” Hill says.