We want our people to become leaders in their fields and we care about each employee’s professional development. It’s satisfying for employees and helps keep us at the top of the class in the pension and investment industry.
CFA sponsorship and exam preparation course
We sponsor enrolment in the Chartered Financial Analyst program and offer a special bonus for successful completion of each level of the program.
CFA candidates from Teachers’ consistently exceed the average pass rates reported by the CFA Institute. How? Our Finance managers created an in-house exam preparation course with weekly classes, books and notes. It’s open to all staff, giving our employees the best chance for success.
MBA sponsorship
We sponsor selected employees in management positions to complete the Executive MBA program. These exceptional managers have gone on to lead divisions of the company and move Teachers’ into the electronic age with innovative and award-winning web-based services.
Professional development
We are creating a professional development curriculum, tailor made to meet the needs of our progressive investment team. Offering a wide variety of courses by internal and external business leaders, it helps our employees gain confidence in areas they would like to improve and excel as professionals.
Member Services training
We also have a seven-person Training department in our Member Services division to ensure our client services to 295,000 teachers and pensioners consistently meet the highest standards. Employees receive regular training on changing pension legislation, products and processes, and learn to use continually evolving technologies to meet our customers’ needs for immediate, personalized service.
Personal coaching: Our 60 frontline Pension Benefits Specialists (PBS) fulfilled 190,000 member requests in 2005. To ensure they provide outstanding service at every point of contact, each PBS receives three personal evaluation, feedback and coaching sessions every year with a member of our staff.
Rotation program: Teachers’ Rotation and Instruction Program (TRIP) gives Member Services staff a chance to gain hands-on knowledge and experience working in other departments. Each session runs for three to four months and expands the breadth and depth of participants’ skills and expertise.
Mentoring program: To encourage up-and-coming leaders to maximize their personal and business potential, 14 management-level employees in Member Services are matched and coached by managers in another division. This program was launched in 2005, helping employees learn how to be effective managers and excel in their positions.
Adult education diploma: Our Trainers are also in training. The entire seven-person staff is currently working toward a Diploma in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University.
Student opportunities
We recruit summer intern and co-op students from business, IT, MBA and related programs at Canadian universities every year. An important hiring portal for full-time staff, these programs allow approximately 120 students each year to gain valuable career experience working alongside leaders in the pension and investment industry.