College launches new financial services qualification at Open Event

City College Brighton and Hove, in conjunction with the Open University, is launching a new Foundation Degree in Financial Services with an open event at its Pelham Street campus on Wednesday 7th March from 4.30 to 6pm. At the event, potential students can meet with tutors to discuss what the course offers and find out about the facilities available at the College. Financial Services is one of Brighton & Hove’s main employing sectors with 5000 business units employing over 44,000 people. A number of key employers, including American Express, Lloyds Banking Group, Legal and General, Family Investment and Domestic & General, have established call centre and business operations and there are also a substantial number of smaller businesses within this sector that require additional skills and training for existing employees and new entrants.

City College’s Foundation Degree in Financial Services provides flexibility to study part-time, at a student’s own pace. Students will work with innovative course materials from the Open University, with tutorial support provided by experienced, well-qualified City College tutors. The qualification is endorsed by the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, the leading body in England for the development of training solutions for the Financial Services sector.

"We're really excited about working with such a highly-respected education provider as the Open University to deliver this course",
said City College's Head of Higher Education, Chris Wellings. "For those already working in the financial services industry, this qualification provides the skills and knowledge to progress in their career but importantly, it’s also open to those who want to enter employment in the sector."

The qualification covers personal finance – including concepts such as financial planning, portfolio management, investment classes and techniques – and the changing economic and social context for financial decisions and products. It also provides a broad understanding of business organisations and their cultures and structures. The Foundation degree will also enable students to understand the ideas that are important to anyone working, or intending to work, in financial services. These ideas include the concepts of risk and uncertainty and how economics and ethics inform financial decision-making.

Typically the Foundation Degree takes three to four years of part-time study to complete, but it can be completed in as few as two years. There are a range of compulsory and optional modules, and several different pathways students can choose.

For more information on City College’s Financial Services Foundation Degree, contact course information on 01273 667759 or email info@ccb.ac.uk

For City College media enquiries, please call Brian Bell, Marketing Communications Officer, on 01273 667788 Ext. 488 or email bb1@ccb.ac.uk website www.ccb.ac.uk

About City College Brighton and Hove: Situated in the heart of Brighton and graded ‘Outstanding’ in key areas by Ofsted in its June 2011 report, City College Brighton and Hove is an international centre of vocational excellence and one of the top performing Further Education Colleges in the country. Every year, 2,000 full-time, 7,000 part time, 400 Higher Education and 400 14-16 year old students as well as many international and European students choose City College as their place of further and higher education training. In addition, the College provides training to over 2,000 businesses via its ‘City Business Skills’ department which focuses on employer training needs. Offering over 700 courses from basic level right through to business and postgraduate training, City College is working with its partners to develop the workforce of the future.