Skills Minister Alex Burghart MP to open Trade Body Skills Summit as part of 2022 National Apprenticeship Week

Alex Burghart MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education, will discuss how Government values service-sector apprenticeships and skills training, and how now is a fantastic opportunity to see the skills offer as a fresh career path to those looking to work in financial services.

The Minister’s speech will form part of the Credit Services Association’s (CSA) third Learning and Development annual event, which will be free of charge to attend and take place on Zoom from 10am on Thursday 10 February 2022.

The Summit aims to champion people development in financial services, as well as in government and the wider public sector, and will provide an opportunity for organisations to understand how they can cost-effectively recruit, retain, and upskill people in business-critical areas of credit, collections, compliance, counter fraud, and debt advice.

The conference will bring together learning and development managers, HR professionals, industry leaders, and in-house collection teams, as well as current CSA apprentices and their employers.

The CSA Skills Summit coincides with National Apprenticeship Week 2022 and its ‘build the future’ theme; reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.

Fiona Macaskill, Director of Learning and Development at the CSA, said: “Attendees will hear from a range of speakers from skills sector experts and those that are already benefitting from working with us as a provider. Practical sessions will provide a ‘top down’ strategy and step-by-step guide on how to implement a plan that works for your organisation and your people with very little additional cost and resource.”

She continues, “Our mission is to ensure that professionals working in our industry and related sectors have access to the best quality, up-to-the-minute training and development opportunities to maintain the highest standards for the mutual benefit of firms, clients, customers, and other stakeholders. We want to make credit, collections, compliance, counter fraud, and debt advice recognised as highly regarded professions that offer attractive and rewarding career opportunities for all.”