Insight into financial training at Centennial College

Banks, credit unions, financial planning organizations and investment fund companies are all looking for professionals who have completed financial training such as Centennial College’s Financial Services Fundamentals program. In today’s financial landscape, the number of traditional, entry-level jobs, such bank tellers, is being reduced due to rationalization, consolidation, marketing-focused industry, increased competition, demographics, advances in technology and a global financial environment. However, this leaves room for professionals with a combination of financial and marketing skills launch careers.

One particular area of opportunity for those with financial training is mutual funds. With baby boomers preparing to retire, they are investing in mutual funds and the professionals who sell these funds must be licensed. That’s why included in Centennial College’s financial training courses are topics that will lead to a license to do so. Let’s take a look at the details of the financial training courses that also prepare students for the field in just two semesters.

Corporate Finance: Management is explored in these financial training courses through topics such as the financial management of profit-seeking organizations. Its goal is to help develop students’ analytical and decision-making skills in domestic and international finance.

Marketing courses: Students of the financial training attend two marketing classes: Principles of Marketing and Professional Selling. The first provides an overview of contemporary marketing — emphasizing the management of the product/service, price, promotion and distribution areas of an organization within a changing environment. The second of these financial training courses offers a base for students to develop successful sales presentation skills. Among specific courses topics are: pre-selling activities, techniques and procedures to use during the sales interaction and post-sales activity.

Canadian Financial Services: The structure and services of the finance industry are examined in this financial training course. The knowledge gained offers the technical foundation required for entry into the Canadian Securities course.

Financial Accounting (two levels): The first of these two financial training courses covers the recording procedure and the production of financial statements of the financial reporting process. The second, meanwhile, provides the financial training students with tools to account for financial transactions, and knowledge to apply the principles of financial analysis and control to assist in making team-based financial decisions. Emphasis is placed on the preparation of financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and the analysis of those produced.

Canadian Investment Funds Course: This online financial training course is a proprietary course of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC).

Specific topics covered in this financial training course include: the duties and obligations of a mutual fund salesperson and the regulations that govern salespersons activities; the economic and investment framework in which the mutual fund industry operates; the structure of the mutual fund industry in Canada, and the administration of mutual fund organizations; the investment activities of mutual funds; the Canadian income tax system, especially the taxation of investment income; and pensions and retirement savings.

It is worth noting that graduates of this financial training have the opportunity to continue their education in the two-year program. This allows them, in one additional year, to enhance their qualifications. In turn, these financial training grads can pursue lucrative careers in the broader financial services industry.