Pathways

AICM Education Foundation

The AICM Education Foundation which was launched at the conference in 2019 and is now in a position to start offering scholarships for Toolboxes and Workshops delivered online by the AICM.

The foundation has been established to provide financial assistance for students wanting to develop their careers through further education. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford to study or obtain support from their employer and this is where the Education Foundation can assist. The Education Foundation will also bolster the position of the AICM as the primary learning, knowledge and information source for credit professionals and support the AICM’s objective of providing opportunities for growth throughout their careers.

A Management Committee has been established to manage the day to day running of the foundation and they have been busy designing the application process for scholarships, creating the Foundation policies and charter, and putting strategies in place to ensure the Foundation can deliver on its vision.

This is an exciting and innovative idea which has required time and effort by the committee sourcing assistance from some of the experts in the education industry with experience in managing scholarship grants.

Over the next two years the foundation will offer 8 Toolbox sets and 5 Workshop sets each year and aim to be in a position to fund scholarships for all courses offered by the AICM by the beginning of 2022.

The process for the applications has been agreed upon. Soon there will be a window for applicants to submit their applications with successful applicants commencing to enrol from July 2021 onwards. Initially, all applicants will be screened by the committee, followed by a series of interviews by the judging panel. The panel will consist of a committee member, one AICM national office staff member and an independent person (not in the credit industry). This will be similar to the judging procedure for the Young Credit Professional of the Year and aligns with processes followed by other education scholarships.

Initially the committee will be raising funds through raffles and auctions to be held at AICM events. As the momentum for the foundation grows we’ll seek direct donations from organisations and individuals who share the AICM’s passion in developing credit professionals and equipping them with the skills needed to have successful careers.

Thank you to the management committee for all their time, effort and initiative in bringing all the moving pieces together.

Please visit the Education Foundation page on the AICM website for more information and for details on how to apply for a scholarship.