The Canadian ETF Association (CETFA) has announced the launch of four courses for industry professionals.

“The investing public needs better and detailed information regarding ETF products, and as the product becomes more accessible to the retail market, there is a need to ensure proficiency and product knowledge levels are increased and maintained,” says Pat Dunwoody, executive director of CETFA.

“We want this product to be a part of a consumer’s balanced portfolio strategy, and to this end, we want every professional that deals with ETFs to have the necessary understanding to ensure that advisors and clients alike appreciate the benefits of the product,” Dunwoody says.

CETFA’s offering includes two online courses: “Introduction to Exchange Traded Funds” and “Advanced ETFs” and two classroom courses: “Overview of Exchange Traded Funds” and “Science of ETFs”.

The first online course is a general introductory course for industry professionals, while the “Advanced ETFs” is for the more advanced professional that is looking to understand the variables in the different ETF products and portfolio strategies.

The classroom courses add real world examples and case studies in the “Overview” course, while the “Science of ETFs” delves into the ETF portfolio and compliance strategies for the more sophisticated investor and manager.

All courses through CETFA are accredited per Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and Financial Planning Standard Council (FPSC) requirements.

CETFA selected the Smarten Up Institute to design, write and help manage the courses. Smarten Up, with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, is recognized by IIROC as an industry approved educator with certificate designations.

To access the courses visit http://cetfa.sui-courses.com/course-registration.