CIFAA encourages careers in accounting

(CNS): With the donation of 30 laptops to Cayman Brac High School (CBHS), the Cayman Islands Fund Administrators Association (CIFAA) is not only supporting the development of IT in the school but also hoping to let students know about the career opportunities in accounting. Michel Normandeau of Close Brothers said that all the laptops would have mini plaques acknowledging CIFAA, which they hope will remind young Caymanians about the association and encourage them to consider fund administration as a career goal. (Left: Steven Durksen of DoES (back left), Normandeau and two CBHS students)

CIFAA is a major employer in the Cayman Islands that requires qualified accountants with experience in accounting in audit, Normandeau said, and he encouraged young people studying accounting at university to approach some of the big accounting firms for summer jobs. He also noted that the study of accounting also equips young people to run their own businesses, if they should choose that path.

Normandeau, who handed the laptops and two laptop carts to CBHS Principal Adrian Jones (fifth from left) and Steven Durksen, ICT Manager with the Department of Education Services, told CNS that CIFAA had originally planned to make funds available for a scholarship. However, many scholarships go unclaimed and so they decided to do something that would be beneficial to the schools. Last year they donated 20 laptops to John Grey High School, he said.

“Particularly given the impact of Hurricane Paloma last year, the CIFAA board members recognized that it is important for the youth of our Sister Islands to have comparable opportunities to the young people of Grand Cayman,” he added.

A release from the Education Ministry notes that the use of computer technology plays an integral role in the delivery of the school curriculum and students in every year group are encouraged to complete assignments, work on projects and conduct research using the internet and relevant software.

At the heart of this evolution has been the eagerness and comfort shown by every member of staff at Cayman Brac High School in the use of Information technology. This together with support from the Senior Management of the school and the Information Technology Department has resulted in a constant demand for the limited resources currently available. The donation from CIFAA will therefore greatly assist in increasing the provisioning of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources to students and will provide them with the necessary tools to take their education and learning to the next level, the release notes.

“I would like to thank the Cayman Islands Fund Administrators Association for their profound generosity,” Jones said. “These laptops will complement existing ones within the school, and will assist in our quest to ensure all students achieve the criteria established for ‘The Educated Caymanian’ and in particular the objective of being adept at using information and communication technology.”

Education Minister Rolston Anglin, also expressed thanks to CIFAA and noted, “Information technology is arguably one of the largest and most important factors shaping our world today and our students must have accessibility to use these tools so that they may develop and learn on par with their global peers. Colleges, Universities and most jobs today require young school leavers to be proficient in ICT and by our young people must have access at an early age so that they can be ready to embrace the technological world in which we live once they move into the workforce. The variety of technologies that teens can use to support their communication, research, and entertainment desires has expanded tremendously over the last few years and proficiency in these areas are increasingly becoming an essential part of every young person’s personal portfolio. To help in acquiring these skills we need more visionary organisations such as CIFAA to pitch in and help us to help our students and give them the best possible competitive edge when they leave our schools.”

CIFAA is the national association which represents companies that provide fund administration services to over 9,000 funds domiciled in the Cayman Islands. This active professional body is dedicated to the provision of a reliable, first-class service to satisfy specific client needs and provides educational opportunities to Caymanians and residents through scholarships and locally run seminars that focus on the industry and its developments.

Chief Education Officer Shirley Wahler, a former principal of CBHS, added, “This is yet another example of the outstanding support this community offers to our schools and young people. I have no doubt that students at Cayman Brac High School will put this generous donation from CIFAA to good use in supporting teaching and learning in the school.”