CFA course arrives in Australia
The Securities Institute is to pioneer a course for the fast growing Certified Financial Analyst designation under an agreement with the Sydney Society of Financial Analysts.
According to Securities Institute managing director Penny Le Couteur, the course is the first CFA preparatory course to be offered on a face-to-face basis in Australia. Previously, students have been studying via text books, Internet-based courses and videos of lecture series in the US.
Le Couteur says the new course will offer valuable feedback and interaction which has been missing in the past.
She describes the examinations required to pass the CFA designation as "very demanding". The course typically takes three years to complete and gives financial analysts working for investment banks and fund managers a feather in the cap of the experience they have already gained.
Le Couteur says the designation is becoming increasingly important for those financial analysts looking to work overseas or progress their careers in the predominantly US-owned investment banking industry in Australia.
The CFA designation originated in the US and is quickly becoming the charter most demanded by financial institutions around the world, according to SSFA president Emilio Gonzalez.
About 600 Australians are currently enrolled in various stages of the CFA program. There are 70,000 candidates from 135 countries also enrolled in the program.
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