The Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission and the UK's Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment have signed an agreement to set up a new slew of qualifications for practitioners in the securities market. The ECSRC operates in eight Caribbean countries.

The ECSRC is the regional regulatory body for the Eastern Caribbean Securities Market, which includes Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The CISI is the not-for-profit, global body for practitioners in capital markets, wealth management and financial planning, with 45,000 members in more than 100 countries. With the permission of various regulators, it issues licences to broker-dealers and investment advisors who work in the field of securities.

Both parties have written: "The agreement means a local-global, mandated certification programme will be adopted to allow financial services intermediaries throughout the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union to gain the formal certification required for licencing. Practitioners operating under the Representative, Principal or Investment Advisor categories will be required to complete [the] ECSRC’s current regulatory examination for the Eastern Caribbean Securities Market, together with the CISI’s internationally recognised certification appropriate to their specific job role."

Every one of the eight countries in the ECSRC's purview will set up training with the CISI's support. This will include the availability of a remote invigilation option for candidates.

Candidates who study in the hope of attaining a CISI certificate will automatically be eligible for CISI student membership and those who achieve the full licencing qualification will be eligible for CISI associate-level membership. Membership has its privileges, such as an extensive continuing professional development (CPD) suite with more than 500 videos on the CISI TV channel, more than 190 e-learning modules that allow members to update their sectoral knowledge, 1,300 articles in The Review, the exclusive member magazine, and opportunities to attend virtual CPD events.