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Dear Stakeholder
At the end of February, we bid farewell to Terence Berry, the founding CEO of the ASISA Academy. The Academy was launched in October 2007 by Terence and Leon Campher, the founding CEO of ASISA, in response to a growing need for an industry-led business school to assist the savings and investment industry with skills development and transformation.
When Terence felt the calling in 2016 to start a new venture in early childhood development, he implemented a gradual transition in leadership for the Academy. This enabled him to pass on the baton to me with care and precision. After sharing leadership responsibilities for two years, Terence stepped down as CEO in 2018 but continued to drive the Academy’s Business Development function. He also served as a non-executive director on the Academy Board until November 2023.
Thank you, Terence, for laying solid foundations at the Academy and empowering others in the process. The foundations you laid in partnership with others were easy to build on as your successor because they were sound.
On behalf of the entire ASISA Academy team, we dedicate this edition of the ASISA Academy Newsflash to you.
Terence Berry at his farewell celebration.
NEWS FROM OUR GRADUATE PROGRAMMES
Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) Internship
Our ninth ASISA Academy Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) Internship kicked off in the middle of February with 42 interns participating in two-week work readiness courses in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The interns, mostly BCom Financial Planning graduates from around the country, joined their IFA host practices on 4 March 2024 in Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban, East London, and Johannesburg.
The following feedback was shared via LinkedIn by some of the IFA interns on completion of the work readiness course:
“It was such a blast these past two weeks with the ASISA Academy. I have met incredible people and listened to wonderful speakers. My passion and love for the industry have grown to heights I couldn't even imagine before. Thanks to the ASISA Academy for the wonderful opportunity.”
“The programme also taught me how to approach challenges, prioritise tasks and manage my time efficiently. Attending the programme has had a great impact on my personal growth. I am excited to embark on my new journey, thank you once again to the ASISA Academy.”
“As I wrap up my two-week Work Readiness Program at the ASISA Academy, I want to express my sincere gratitude. Huge thanks to the ASISA Academy for this incredible opportunity.”
The 2023/24 IFA Internship also drew to a close at the end of February, with 28 out of 31 interns completing the programme. This brings the total number of graduates participating in the IFA Internship to nearly 300 since the programme’s inception.
Interns who attended the two-week work readiness courses in Cape Town (top picture) and Johannesburg (bottom picture). The IFA intern group for Cape Town included nine interns from Bloemfontein, Durban, and East London.
Financial Markets Practitioner Learnership
The ASISA Academy’s second Financial Markets Practitioner (FMP) Learnership concluded at the end of February. Delegates declared competent will write the external examination set by the South African Institute of Stockbrokers (SAIS) in April or October 2024.
Delegates enrolled in the third iteration of the FMP Learnership completed their orientation in February and commenced with courses on 5 March 2024. This group is made up of delegates from Momentum Investments, PPS, M&G and Curo, as well as the 12 young women participating in the second Fezeka Graduate Programme.
The FMP Learnership is a NQF Level 7 learnership registered with the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset) and provides a learning pathway to a higher qualification such as an honours degree or a NQF level 8 postgraduate diploma.
Fezeka Graduate Programme
The 12 young women from around the country participating in the second Fezeka Graduate Programme started with the first of three work rotations at their host employers in February. Over 15 months, the graduates will work at host companies, receiving competitive remuneration while also participating in the ASISA Academy’s FMP Learnership.
Meanwhile, the eight young women completing their third and final work rotation as part of the inaugural Fezeka Programme have registered for their CFA level 1 exam, which they will write in August. The Academy will host CFA level 1 exam preparation classes for the Fezeka graduates from 22 May to early August 2024. These classes are also open to other candidates who have registered to write in the final quarter of the year. More information and enrolment forms can be found here.
We plan to significantly scale the Fezeka industry collaboration aimed at helping the South African asset management industry improve the representation of Black women on investment teams, but we need more funding. I invite you to contact me to discuss how your company can get involved and what the benefits are. Alternatively, please click here if you would like to make a financial contribution.
The 12 young women from around the country participating in the second Fezeka Graduate Programme.
IMACS@TSiBA
The 36 students from the TSiBA Business School participating in our 13th ASISA Academy IMACS@TSiBA Internship who passed their Investment Management Administration (IMA2) exams at the end of last year started with the IMA3 programme in February.
As part of their third year, these students must complete a compulsory work experience internship in their final semester (August – November 2024). Companies that wish to host a student from August to November 2024 are requested to please get in touch with us and we will distribute the list of students who can be interviewed between May and June. The IMACS@TSiBA Internship qualifies as a category B on the Learning Programme Matrix.
RETIREMENT FUND TRUSTEE EDUCATION
In February, we presented 25 Retirement Fund Trustee Education (RFTE) workshops to 261 trustees and principal officers. Of these workshops, seven were public, Sanlam funded one for employees, and 17 were presented to trustees of the following single funds:
- Combined Liberty Funds
- Corporate Selection Umbrella Fund (CSUF)
- Transport Sector Retirement Fund
- PRASA Provident Fund
- Construction Industry Retirement Benefits Fund (CIRBF)
- National Tertiary Retirement Fund
- Municipal Employees Pension Fund
SHORT COURSES AND BLITZCAMPS
UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors’ Short Course
Due to overwhelming demand, the ASISA Academy will again present two UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors’ Short Courses in one year. The online course started in February with 18 delegates from various life insurance companies in South Africa as well as Botswana and Zambia. The next course will be delivered from July to October. A limited number of seats are still available – please enrol here.
New: Online Sprints for Senior Claims Assessors
At the request of the ASISA Claims Standing Committee, we will pilot two three-hour interactive online Sprints for Senior Life Insurance Claims Assessors in April. Please enrol here for the standalone Sprints, which will cover the following:
- Sprint 1: Financial assessment of claims
- Sprint 2: Dealing with complaints (including complaints to the Long-term Insurance Ombudsman)
UCT Short Courses in March
The UCT Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) Short Course and the UCT Investment Management Administration & Client Servicing (IMACS) Short Course will be presented as a combined in-person course in Cape Town from 13 to 19 March. We can still accommodate two delegates on the CIS course. Interested candidates are encouraged to enrol here.
Blitzcamps
Following numerous requests to bring back the Financial Services Industry Overview Blitzcamp and the Investment Management Business Overview Blitzcamp, we delivered both Blitzcamps in a hybrid format (both online and in-person) to 32 delegates over two days in the last week of February.
The next set of Blitzcamps will run in Cape Town and Johannesburg in April. Please click here to enrol in the Financial Services Industry Overview Blitzcamp and here for the Investment Management Business Overview Blitzcamp.
Some of the delegates who attended the Blitzcamps that were delivered in hybrid format.
BESPOKE COURSES
All our courses can be shaped into bespoke courses that meet the unique requirements of individual companies. We invite ASISA members to engage with us in developing learning pathways for employees who wish to develop their technical skills and broaden their knowledge about the financial services industry.
Member companies requested the following bespoke courses for February:
- The first of six bespoke Investment Induction courses was delivered to Sanlam Investments employees.
- Momentum requested six in-house Investment Sprints for 2024. The first two were presented in February, covering the following topics:
o Introduction to the SA Savings and Investment Sector
o Fundamentals of Equities Portfolio Management
- The Academy delivered the first session of the M&G Career Development Course, an employee development programme for early career employees and employees working outside of the financial space within the business. This course kicked off in February with an online session covering the Introduction to Financial Services. The remaining sessions will be presented during March and April.
LEARN WITH US
The ASISA Academy is recognised as a Level 1 B-BBEE Qualifying Small Enterprise, with more than 75% of the Academy’s beneficiaries being black South Africans. This means employers can claim 135% of their skills development spend with the ASISA Academy. Please get in touch with us to discuss how we can support your skills development requirements.
For a complete overview of learning opportunities, please visit the ASISA Academy Learning Calendar.
Please visit our website for more information on our many learning opportunities. We also invite you to interact with us on LinkedIn.
Best wishes
Alicia Davids
ASISA Academy CEO
