JSE Offers New Courses in Financial Planning and Management

The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) has rolled out several new course offerings under its e-learning campus, geared at providing professionals with relevant training in the area of financial planning and management.

The certificate courses, which commence this year, will be offered through a web-based application, combined with face-to-face interaction, and will cover a range of topics, including Credit Risk Management; Combating Financial Fraud; and Fundamentals of Money Markets.

They will add to the JSE’s already existing post graduate diploma and certificate programmes in Financial Services Management, which were launched in 2010.

General Manager, JSE, Marlene Street Forrest, said the new suite of courses is aimed at enhancing the JSE’s e-campus offerings as well as providing a wider platform where financial professionals can gain knowledge and training.

Mrs. Street Forrest was speaking at a press conference, held at the JSE’s headquarters in downtown Kingston, on February 5.

She said the courses are also designed to capture the interest of any person who has a need to learn more about money matters, such as personal finance, investing in the equities market, or any current issue, such as the Omni Tax Incentives.

“So, anything that is now current that persons should know about, that will affect their lives, the portal is there and we’ll be providing that information,” the General Manager noted.

Mrs. Street Forrest said the JSE’s e-campus also serves to reduce the need for persons to travel overseas for higher education and training.

Endorsing the JSE e-campus, Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said it is an “epic” step towards empowering Jamaicans in the area of financial management.

“The Ministry supports the invaluable contribution of the JSE to the professional development of practitioners in the financial and allied sectors, through the programmes offered by its e-campus,” he added.

Rev. Thwaites further noted that the Ministry anticipates opportunities for partnership with the JSE, particularly in strengthening the competencies of financial and accounting personnel in the education system.

“We have over a thousand public schools, many of which are larger in turnover every year than some of the companies listed on your exchange, and the education of the principals and the financial officers needs considerable upgrading,” he said.

Additionally, the Minister pointed out that the advent of the Jamaica Logistics Hub also provides an opportunity for the JSE, through its e-campus, to re-train accounting and financial professionals in the demands and requirements of the maritime sector.

For her part, Principal, e-Campus, Sandra Shirley, informed that the JSE e-campus is now registered by the University Council of Jamaica and is a member of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certification Service in the United Kingdom.

She said the campus is also accredited by the CPD, while the JSE’s postgraduate diploma in Financial Services Management is approved by the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

The JSE certificate courses, for which registration is now open, will cost $35,000 plus GCT, while the post graduate diploma will cost $230,000 plus GCT. Persons are also asked to pay a registration fee of $1,500.

Since September 2010, more than 200 persons have benefited from the JSE’s e-campus. The e-learning campus allows for remote access throughout the Caribbean and for flexible study hours for employed participants.