Financial Academy is a Finnish cooperation network formed by the sector’s employers and thirteen educational institutions offering study programmes in finance. The objective of the network is to make education more working-life oriented. The participants include vocational schools, polytechnics and universities, and the sector’s own training institute, Finva.
The working groups have wide responsibility areas covering professional education, representation of the sector’s interests, and employer image. In addition, the groups are pursuing a shared vision of the educational pathways that lead new employees into the sector, and of the further training needs of the current workforce. The working groups also consult students on their views on learning and training materials.
The Financial Academy offers the educational institutions an excellent opportunity to network and improve their efficiency. This is highly valuable, as work in the project has revealed that institutions operating in the same geographical area may be unaware of each other’s curricula and programmes. Cooperation across education sectors is important to ensure flexible paths of education.
At the moment, the entire Finnish education system is under major changes and cost pressures. A shared voice has a much stronger influence on the development of financial sector education and training ‒ and a much better chance at attracting new top professionals into the sector.