The Swiss Bankers Association is launching a new banking and finance training initiative designed to offer further bank training opportuniti...

The Swiss Bankers Association is launching a new banking and finance training initiative designed to offer further bank training opportunities in a non-university context. The new initiative will be in association with an educational consortium called the AKAD Höhere Fachschule Banking & Finance AG, and will consist of four institutions: the Kalaidos Bildungsgruppe Schweiz (AKAD Business); the Centro di Studi Bancari Lugano; the IFBF Institut de formation bancaire et financière supérieure Lausanne; and the ISFB Institut Supérieure de Formation Bancaire Genève. Teaching will be carried out at existing institutions and will be standardised across Switzerland. It is intended that those who successfully complete the course will be awarded a federally-recognised diploma. Fees for the three-year programme will be around SFr24,000 ($18,593). The first courses are due to start in 2006 and applications for places can be made from September this year.