Mentor Evening a Success!

Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments (CISI) students were introduced to their professional mentors this week. Students on Year 2 of the course have to write a 4000 word project on a subject matter related to the Financial Investment Industry. To support the completion of this project, each student is assigned a professional mentor. Mentors are all financial industry professionals and all members of the CISI.

They have volunteered their time to mentor students and give them the guidance they require to produce projects that easily match those of undergraduate students.

This first meeting was to discuss the effectiveness of the project objectives that students have written. It was evident that students had really thought of their objectives as they confidently presented their ideas to their mentors. All mentors have specialist knowledge in the subject areas that students have chosen, so didn t hold back when asking students to justify their project title choices and their chosen objectives.

The titles students have chosen are:

1. Is the UK taxation system fair?
2. Has increased regulation helped to reduce financial crime?
3. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the UK as a financial centre.
4. I m only young, I don t need life assurance and / or life insurance Discuss.
5. Is the UK government doing enough to encourage saving?
6. You inherit 350,000 from a great-aunt. Evaluate the main factors you need to consider before investing.
7. Are the higher fees for active investment funds justified? Discuss.
8. Is a pension the most appropriate way to save for retirement?
9. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of investing in alternatives to equities and bonds.
10. It is too difficult for young people to get onto the property ladder. Discuss.

The CISI Level 3 professional qualification in Securities and Investments is offered to Post 16 students from different schools in Liverpool (all members of the Liverpool Learning Partnership) and sessions are delivered by Mrs Joanne Welsh, a teacher here at the college. Students opt to study the qualification as part of the enrichment programme Liverpool schools offer and is recognised and accepted by Universities as part of the UCAS application process. This programme has just entered its sixth year and 100% of all students entered for the qualification last academic year all achieved it.

All students participating on the programme study are also given the opportunity to participate in the work experience programme that the CISI offer, this takes place in the summer term and is well received. One student this year was lucky enough to be offered a summer job! On completion of the qualification, students are also given the opportunity to apply for apprenticeships in the industry.

We wish this year s cohort the very best of luck and look forward to reading their projects when completed.