Director Training

Level Five is pleased to introduce our NEW Professional Directors Program (PDP), which is designed to equip and enable credit union directors to meet today’s standards of board governance.

A new alternative to existing director training, the program is based on the key principles underlying the latest regulatory guidelines for governance such as the prudent person rule and its implications for director liability and how credit union directors will need to modify their perspective of their roles in the future, with an increasing focus on risk management and strategic direction and goal setting.

Here is what makes this program unique:

• It can be fast-tracked so that it is completed within a year
• It is offered as a series of interactive seminars grouped around key topics such as Governance, Financial Performance, Reporting and Monitoring, Credit Union Operations and Strategy. In addition to these core series, there will be electives such as Ethics, Strategic Planning Methodologies, Legal and Legislative Fundamentals and Commercial Lending for Directors
• Seminars include presentations by guest speakers, subject matter experts, case studies and break-out discussion sessions to enrich the learning experience
• Courses are presented in a professional manner that recognizes the work experience and prior educational achievements of directors
• Courses (and all attendees) will be continuously updated to reflect the most current trends and schools of thought with respect to evolving standards of governance and sound business practices
• The development of the program includes periodic review and comment provided by regulatory agencies including Deposit Insurance Corporation of  Ontario (CICO) and The Stabilization Central Credit union in BC (SCCU)
• A certificate will be issued to all directors who successfully complete the four core series of seminars and at least two elective courses
• Course Delivery Options:

• Classroom: Open to all credit union directors, which have the advantage of an interactive learning environment through which directors can exchange ideas and perspectives with their peers from other credit unions
• On-site: Generally for an entire board of a credit union, or a group of credit unions in a specific region or geographic location scheduled inconsideration of the needs of the credit union(s). Venue and out-of-pocket expenses are the responsibility of the credit union(s)
• PDP On-line - We are launching this interactive, e-learning version of the program in conjunction with CU Training, a well-established provider of effective on-line training for credit unions. PDP On-line will consist of interactive e-learning courses, webinars, Beacon, and on-line forums on key governance issues and challenges. PDP On-line will be accessed through a dedicated website, and will include webinars and on-line forums, which will also be open to those who register for the classroom PDP program

Contact: Vineet Bapat, Director, Strategic Initiatives at vbapat@levelfive.ca for more information and registration details

PDP Testimonials

Here are some comments from directors who have attended the PDP:

• “Congratulations on the presentation of material; created interest and lots of discussion. I enjoyed the workshop and presentation of case studies”

• “You set a very high comfort level as well as being extremely adaptable. You made the experience entirely positive. I look forward to the next time”

• “Vineet  was very knowledgeable and well spoken. I enjoyed the real world examples”

• “…I appreciate how the course was presented. As a new director, it gave me a good understanding of board roles and procedures and I feel that I can definitely use this information in my day-to-day duties as a director”

• “Very thorough, articulate presentation. The facilitator really listened to the participants and dealt with all questions as presented. Knowledgeable, yet able to reach all directors at their various levels of experience”

• “What I thought was going to be a very boring subject was changed into a vey interesting topic – not too many facilitators can do this”

• “Great job! Truly appreciate your hard work and endless knowledge”

• “Presented very professionally; informative and interesting workshop; truly enjoyed the guest speaker from DICO, networking and team presentations