As Sri Lanka aspires to be the leading global hub in the BPO industry, there is an increasing need for specialised professionals to drive the billion dollar industry in the country. To complement this vision, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) with the support of the industry developed the groundbreaking Certified Finance and Accounting Specialist (CFAS) professional qualification for the benefit of students and professionals who aim to fast track their success in this global profession.
The CFAS qualification, dubbed as a global qualification, paves the way for aspiring professionals to work in a recognized global company in Sri Lanka. The programme is currently on its third intake and has received an overwhelming response from students and professionals alike due to its very relevant curriculum and specially because the programme covers areas pertinent to the industry.
CFAS has been endorsed by the industry and was developed jointly by CA Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka.
The qualification leads learners to become Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) professionals, where technical and professional skills have been blended to cater to the designated job roles for the industry, while also helping the students who follow the qualification achieve professional success at a faster phase. The CFAS qualification is offered at three levels; Trainee Associate, Senior Associate and Team Lead. The course covers a total of 12 learning modules, and focuses on four major study areas; Finance & Accounting, Management Aspects, Process & Quality, and Professional Skills, which are all important to ensure a successful career in the outsourcing industry.
CEO of Infomate Pvt Limited, Mr. Jehan Perinpanayagam said that the CFAS qualification is a unique study programme which facilitates an accelerated career development and learning within the finance and accounting outsourcing industry. It exposes students to world class practices and processes and equips students with knowledge and skills which are relevant in a global context. “The curriculum includes highly valued aspects like Six Sigma, information security, introduction to ERP systems, soft skills and management aspects, together with a good grounding in finance,” he said.
There are several types of outsourcing sectors within the BPO industry from the service centers of call centers to data entry as well as Finance and Accounting. Thus the caliber of student’s required for this vibrant industry is the ability to be professionals working on projects and dealing with international clients from UK, US and Australia.
Commonly students with CA Sri Lanka and other finance and accounting professional qualifications enter this this area where they grow at a fast rate and progress to become management level professionals, based on their exceptional performance. There is a business and commerce element required to enter the industry which makes this industry not all number crunching, and the CFAS qualification has been developed in a way to offer the discerning student to fast track his or her way to achieve faster professional success as all these important elements have been inculcated in the qualification.
Understanding client management, process management and finance and accounting is the three keys to this industry. This industry is unique where it needs fresh, dynamic and enthusiastic people who have a flare for analysis and business intuition.
The six month internship which forms part of the qualification can also pave the way for the students to gain employment at top companies such as Hayley’s, WNS, Informate, Tellida, Hemas, HConnect PWC Aitken Spence, E&Y, RR Donnelly and Expo Freight. However, this will be based on their performance while they intern.
Chairman of SLASSCOM, Mr. Arul Sivagananathan said that SLASSCOM’s vision for 2022 for the industry is to achieve the US$ 5 billion mark, along with 200,000 direct employment opportunities and 1000 startups.
The Certified Finance and Accounting Specialist (CFAS) will commence its 3rd batch in September 2017. The course duration is 12 months including the six month internship which is assigned at the 2nd stage of the programme. The lectures are conducted by industry experts who work at leading companies like Hayley’s, Accenture, WNS and Vishwa BPO. The lectures are held at CA Sri Lanka, 30 A Malalasekera Mawatha, Colombo 07. For further details on the course, contact the CA Business School on 011-2352047 or write to us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
