April 24, 2006 Source: :
http://www.bcit.ca/news/releases/newsrelease042406806.shtml BCIT launches securities fraud program: Advanced Specialty Certificate to provide new training in economic crimes BURNABY, BC: For professionals in the financial sector looking to add to their skills and perhaps save the public from financial hardship, the British Columbia Institute of Technology will soon be offering an Advanced Speciality Certificate in Securities Fraud Analysis, as part of the economic crimes sector in the Institute’s Forensics Department. "This program is the first of its kind in Canada, and it is aimed at professionals who want to add to their knowledge base," says Stephen Hollander, coordinator of the Economic Crime Section for BCIT’s Forensic Science Technology Program. "It will be delivered online so students across Canada can pursue this certificate at their own pace." Last year, the British Columbia Securities Commission provided BCIT with a $40,000 grant to develop and implement a program in securities fraud, and the result is this certificate. The BCSC is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating trading in securities within the province. "Our focus is on strengthening investor protection and promoting a culture of compliance in the securities market," says BCSC Executive Director Brenda Leong. "Financial professionals who take BCIT’s certificate program will learn new skills and knowledge that should improve industry compliance and help detect fraud which ultimately benefits investors." Securities fraud can spell disaster, not only for individual investors but also for the economy and nation. Accordingly, financial-analysis professionals require the knowledge and skills needed to detect securities fraud and the manipulation of financial statements. Recent financial scandals such as Enron and Bre-X relay the importance of maintaining financial security and integrity in our companies and public institutions. "A generation of people have had their retirement savings gutted," says Hollander, "and well-known financial scandals have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars." The first courses in this new certificate will be offered online this fall. For more information about studies in forensics, visit the School of Computing and Academic Studies. -30-
For further information: Allison Markin, Media Relations Manager, BCIT
Tel. 604-432-8773 Cell 604-836-6700
allison_markin@bcit.ca Andrew Poon, Media Relations & Government Affairs, BCSC
Tel. 604-899-6880
apoon@bcsc.bc.ca
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