The Finance Skills Gateway was created by the Australian Financial Services Training Alliance (AFSTA), an initiative of Axiss Australia, the Federal Government agency positioning Australia as a global financial services centre.
By providing easy access to education and training information, the Finance Skills Gateway encourages the development of Australia's financial services workforce, the most skilled in the region, and promotes Australia's finance training capability throughout the Asia-Pacific. Via the site, information on finance-related courses, regulatory training compliance, professional accreditation and careers can be sourced.
Mr Les Hosking, Chief Executive of Axiss Australia said: "The Finance Skills Gateway showcases Australia's excellence as a centre for finance education and training. The high quality of our workforce is a powerful competitive advantage in attracting regional financial services activity. It underpins Australia's standing as a financial centre and is cited as the most compelling attraction for doing more business in and from Australia by the 80-plus financial services firms that have set-up new, or expanded existing operations, in Australia over the last two-and-a-half years.
"Australia's reputation for excellence in financial services education is such that Australian graduates are actively recruited by global financial firms for their worldwide operations and more than 40% of the 112,000 overseas tertiary students studying at Australian universities are studying finance-related disciplines. The creation of the Finance Skills Gateway will assist in ensuring that Australia's financial services workforce, currently totalling around 353,000 people, 60% more than Hong Kong and Singapore combined, continues to be the Asia-Pacific's most skilled."
AFSTA was established by Axiss Australia in June 2000 as part of its strategy to strengthen Australia's workforce advantage and to promote Australia's education and training expertise throughout the region. It is an alliance of industry associations, regulators, universities and vocational trainers with a commitment to developing Australia's financial services workforce. A full list of AFSTA members follows.
AFSTA members
Professional and Industry Associations:
- Australian Superannuation Funds of Australia
- Australasian Institute of Banking and Finance
- Australian & NZ Institute of Insurance & Finance
- Australian Financial Markets Association
- Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Australian Institute of Credit Management
- Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees
- Australian Venture Capital Association Limited
- CPA Australia
- Finance and Treasury Association
- Financial Planning Association
- Institute of Actuaries of Australia
- National Insurance Brokers Association of Australia
- Securities Institute of Australia
- TAFE NSW
- Curtin University of Technology
- Deakin University
- Macquarie University
- Monash University
- RMIT Business
- University of New South Wales
- Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
- Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee
- National Finance Industry Training Advisory Body (NFITAB)
