The Saskatoon Business College has established Saskatchewan’s first diploma program for financial services assistants.

The nationally-accredited school offers a 10-month Financial Services Assistant diploma program, providing graduates with a foundation of knowledge for use in the financial services sector. The program provides a solid base for individuals seeking employment with brokerage and advisory practices, banks, life insurance companies, mutual fund companies, and other firms within the financial industry.

As Beth Shewkenek, principal of the college, explains, the goal of the program is to train fully-qualified assistants who can be productive from their first day on the job. “Financial advisors and other professionals can hire these graduates with confidence,” Shewkenek says. “With a qualified team member right from the start, financial professionals will save time and avoid the problems associated with untrained new recruits.”

The program offers students a wide range of financial skills and knowledge, with coursework based on the curriculum of the former Canadian Securities Institute. Areas of study include written and verbal communications, financial mathematics and accounting, and computer software training. The program also includes a basic overview of economics. “We wanted the curriculum to be as comprehensive as possible create assistants today with the possibility of them becoming partners
tomorrow,” Shewkenek explains.