Online Financial Educator Certificate Program
Investing in Workforce Capacity to Deliver Community-based Financial Education
Catherine Solheim
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Mary Jo Katras
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Keywords: workforce development, financial education, certification, community-university partnership
Abstract
An ever-changing and increasingly complex financial environment coupled with consumers lack of financial capability has led to a demand for sound, affordable, and accessible financial education. The non-profit sector has been challenged to meet this demand, particularly with populations who are least likely to be adequately connected to the financial infrastructure or who struggle to meet family demands and manage growing levels of debt. Although there is training on specific financial curricula, investment in human capacity - core financial content and teaching skills - was sporadic at best and lacking at worst. Recognizing this need, the Financial Educator Certificate (FEC) program was created. This presentation will highlight: 1) the impetus for developing the FEC; 2) an overview of its design and content in light of learner needs; 3) what was learned from the first two cohorts of learners; and 4) strengths and challenges of this e-learning mode in developing the capacity of nonprofit staff to deliver financial education.
Related URL: http://www.extension.umn.edu/family/personal-finance/dollarworks2/financial-educator-certificate-program/
Author Biography
Catherine Solheim, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Catherine Solheim is on the Family Social Science faculty at the University of Minnesota. She teaches courses on personal and family finance, immigrant and refugee families, and family theory. Her research focuses on financial capability in limited-resource, immigrant, and refugee families.
