IB collaborates with investment industry to offer sixth form students bespoke finance education package

The International Baccalaureate (IB) has launched a brand new package in the UK for students aged 16-18 who want to gain practical experience of the finance sector. 

In collaboration with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), UK students are to be offered a new, structured, route into the finance sector through the IB Career-related Programme (CP).

The new CP package is to be piloted at five secondary schools (one independent school and four state schools), in the UK in order to help students develop practical and relevant experience of their chosen career pathway in the financial and investments sector. 

The new collaboration will mean that CP graduates will now have better access to the opportunities available at CISI member companies, such as Morgan Stanley, Barclays, BNP Paribas and HSBC, with the majority offering apprenticeship programmes for CP graduates.

Kevin Moore, Chartered MCSI and CISI’s Director of Global Business Development, said: “The finance sector is looking to recruit young people who possess good communication, numeracy and interpersonal skills, are able to pay attention to detail, are team players and display integrity. We are delighted to be working with the IB and schools to offer a brand new industry-specific package, which promotes the development of these and other in valuable life skills. The package delivers a powerful portfolio which should be popular with students, universities and employers alike.”

Each of the CP pathways combines a career-related qualification (in this case a CISI qualification), with at least two IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses and a unique CP core, consisting of a reflective project, a foreign language, a community project and personal and professional skills.

The new finance and investment pathway includes the career-related qualification by way of the CISI Diploma in Finance, Risk and Investment; IB’s DP mathematics (standard level), DP IT in a global society (standard or higher level), and a DP humanities subject (standard or higher level); plus the CP core.

Dr Peter Fidczuk, UK Recognition and Development Manager, International Baccalaureate, said: “The new package enables students to achieve a maximum of 200 revised UCAS points, while also gaining valuable personal and interpersonal skills, helping students to secure university places, apprenticeships or jobs in the finance industry.

“Working together with industry bodies such as CISI, we look forward to creating a broader range of educational pathways that will allow students to excel in their next steps, whether that’s university, an apprenticeship, internship or straight into industry. This partnership is just the first of many in the UK, showing the IB’s commitment to progressing learning partnerships across diverse sectors.”

Photo shows: (left to right) Shamaila Shah, Teaching and Learning Specialist, Kevin Moore, Chartered MCSI and Director of Global Business Development, CISI and Paula Wilcock, Chief Assessment Officer and Peter Fidczuk, UK Recognition and Development Manager, International Baccalaureate at the signing of the partnership.