Financial Services
A career in Financial Services
Skills offers professional development that will help you or your team members meet regulatory competency requirements to become a recognised financial adviser with New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority. And qualify you to work within specialisations such as Banking, Investment, Insurance, Personal Lending and Residential Property Lending.
Competency requirements
The new legislative regime for Financial Services came into effect on 15th March 2021. All financial services practitioners in New Zealand must conform to the Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services. The code requires that those giving financial advice must meet the outcomes of the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (NZCFS), Level 5, version 2.
The code allows for alternative qualifications to be used to demonstrate competence if they have been independently verified as meeting the outcomes of the NZCFS.
The new legislation also has a competency safe harbour until 16 March 2023 for those who are registered or authorised to provide advice under the Financial Advisers Act 2008 regime. This provision will help to ensure that qualification holders or current learners are not disadvantaged as a result of the new legislation. If you are still completing NZCFS version 1, please see important information about your assessment process here.
How can I meet the competency requirements?
Skills can work with you or your company to identify the qualifications and training organisations that meet your needs.
Alignments
We can work with organisations to identify how your internal training and related processes align to qualifications
New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5) version 2
Gain the qualification you need through our training provider partners
Alternative Pathway for Individuals
We have an assessment process for people who want to demonstrate they meet the requirements of the Code
Why choose Skills?
We have been the standard setting body for the Financial Services industry for over nine years and our qualifications are developed in consultation with industry.
We worked with the Financial Markets Authority to develop the framework for alternative pathways to meet the new Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services.
Our programmes can help you:
As an organisation
- Help staff gain formal recognition for their capabilities and meet all regulatory requirements
- Increase customer retention due to better quality support
- Improved staff engagement
As an individual
- Upskill in the way that best fits you – classroom-based, online facilitated, or self-paced online learning
- Demonstrate competency at the level required to meet the Code requirements
- Reduce mistakes and improve productivity
Aligning your organisation’s training
Skills can work with organisations to identify how your internal training and related processes align to qualifications.
If your company already has strong internal training, alignment could be a great option. An alignment involves a Skills assessment specialist looking at your company’s induction programmes, training and structured learning and mapping this to the competencies needed to gain a National/New Zealand qualification.
Fill out the form on the right and we’ll contact you to walk you through your options.
The Current Training Providers offering the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5) version 2 are:
Professional IQ College
Professional IQ College is an NZQA accredited training provider that offers the New Zealand Certificates in Financial Services, Levels 4 and 5.
Qualifications are delivered via an online distance learning dashboard that provides access to study guides and assessment documents anytime.
Strategi Institute
Strategi Institute is an NZQA accredited training provider that offers the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services, Level 5.
Their courses are available via online learning, distance learning, classroom learning or one-on-one private coaching.
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
The Open Polytechnic is an NZQA accredited training provider that offers the New Zealand Certificates in Financial Services, Levels 4 and 5.
Programmes are delivered via online distance learning that provides access to all materials needed, so that students can study at any time.
Important Information for People Still Working on Version 1 of the Qualification
The Financial Advice strand of Version 1 of the qualification can only be assessed through the Skills centrally administered assessment process. This includes a one hour multi-choice exam to demonstrate understanding of the legislative framework and the submission of a portfolio of evidence demonstrating professional advice process and application of legislative responsibilities.
It is important that candidates are aware of the very particular marking criteria which are used for the exam and the portfolio assessment. More information on these criteria can be found in our More information on these criteria can be found in our Financial Advice Strand Assessment Document.
The training providers that are Delegated Assessment Organisations can provide assessment services relating to the portfolio of evidence, but their outcomes are quality assured and reported to NZQA by Skills.
NOTE: This exam will only be available until November 2021.
My Skills Portal (Only for People Working on Version 1 of the Qualification)
Before you can book an exam or a portfolio assessment you MUST create a Financial Services Candidate account on the My Skills portal. To register, just click the red button below and follow the prompts on your screen. Your MySkills account also creates the facility whereby Skills reports successful completion of ALL results in the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services to the Financial Markets Authority.