Comments on: Vocational Qualifications http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/ The site for Paraplanners and Paraplanning in the UK Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:36:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Peter Smith-Round http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/comment-page-1/#comment-6915 Peter Smith-Round Wed, 13 May 2009 08:38:30 +0000 http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/#comment-6915 Is this still going ahead with FSSC now that their license renewal has been denied recently? Is this still going ahead with FSSC now that their license renewal has been denied recently?

]]> By: Martin Vaughan http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/comment-page-1/#comment-5537 Martin Vaughan Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:29:19 +0000 http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/#comment-5537 Steve and everyone else who has asked for a questionnaire. Many thanks for your responses its great to see that so many people are interested in this. Just to offer a little bit of clarification. The FSSC have produced the National Occupational Standards for paraplanning which set out what the industry believes are the key functionsof a paraplanner and the skills required for a person to undertake those functions. Some of those functions are 'assess clients goals, needs and objectives' and 'research appropriate products' and 'prepare suitable and compliant reports'. Most of the CII exams I have taken have been of a technical nature ' what are the duties of trustees' or 'complete an income tax calculation' and the question we are asking here is 'Does the industry want a qualification based on the NOS for paraplanning?' If so what should it look like. Steve, I completely take your point about the CII's JO exams. Completion of all of these will provide you with a wealth of technical knowledge but do they assess your capabilities as a paraplanner? I don't have the right or wrong answer, - in fact there probably isnt one - thats why we need as many people as possible to send their responses. Make sure you all let the FSSC know. The questionnaire can now be downloaded from the FSSC website, link below http://www.fssc.org.uk/519_14.html?i=2 Steve and everyone else who has asked for a questionnaire. Many thanks for your responses its great to see that so many people are interested in this.

Just to offer a little bit of clarification. The FSSC have produced the National Occupational Standards for paraplanning which set out what the industry believes are the key functionsof a paraplanner and the skills required for a person to undertake those functions. Some of those functions are ‘assess clients goals, needs and objectives’ and ‘research appropriate products’ and ‘prepare suitable and compliant reports’. Most of the CII exams I have taken have been of a technical nature ‘ what are the duties of trustees’ or ‘complete an income tax calculation’ and the question we are asking here is ‘Does the industry want a qualification based on the NOS for paraplanning?’ If so what should it look like.

Steve, I completely take your point about the CII’s JO exams. Completion of all of these will provide you with a wealth of technical knowledge but do they assess your capabilities as a paraplanner?

I don’t have the right or wrong answer, – in fact there probably isnt one – thats why we need as many people as possible to send their responses.

Make sure you all let the FSSC know.

The questionnaire can now be downloaded from the FSSC website, link below

http://www.fssc.org.uk/519_14.html?i=2

]]> By: Richard Allum http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/comment-page-1/#comment-5536 Richard Allum Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:08:20 +0000 http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/#comment-5536 Steve, Can you email martin at theparaplanner dot come with your email address and he will send it to you. Steve,

Can you email martin at theparaplanner dot come with your email address and he will send it to you.

]]> By: Steve Cowin http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/comment-page-1/#comment-5531 Steve Cowin Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:17:46 +0000 http://www.theparaplanner.com/2009/03/21/vocational-qualifications/#comment-5531 If you could send me a questionnaire, I'll complete and return it. I work as a corporate paraplanner in Edinburgh. My role is much as you'd imagine but the main focus is on corporate client relationships as well as researching, preparing advice reports, annual stewardship reports and member communications for our Edinburgh based corporate IFAs. Up to the end of December 2008, my role extended to individual paraplanning with much of the focus on HNW and pension planning, including Pension Transfers, USPs etc etc. I'd be interested in the consensus feedback you get about a specific exam, although I'm not convinced of the need for one myself. I'm currently working my way through the CII's JO exams and I think these are more than sufficient for most situations. I've been watching The Paraplanner site develop and been meaning to register for a while. I look forward to hearing from you. If you could send me a questionnaire, I’ll complete and return it. I work as a corporate paraplanner in Edinburgh. My role is much as you’d imagine but the main focus is on corporate client relationships as well as researching, preparing advice reports, annual stewardship reports and member communications for our Edinburgh based corporate IFAs.
Up to the end of December 2008, my role extended to individual paraplanning with much of the focus on HNW and pension planning, including Pension Transfers, USPs etc etc.
I’d be interested in the consensus feedback you get about a specific exam, although I’m not convinced of the need for one myself. I’m currently working my way through the CII’s JO exams and I think these are more than sufficient for most situations.
I’ve been watching The Paraplanner site develop and been meaning to register for a while. I look forward to hearing from you.

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