Howai hits ‘gap’ in finance education

FCB CEO Larry Howai has criticised a gap in local financial education. He was addressing a graduation ceremony for the Institute of Banking and Finance on Thursday at the Trinidad Hilton. He said: “Unfortunately in Trinidad and Tobago despite the educational programmes that exist there is still a gap between our few specialised financial programmes and the financial expertise required to compete effectively in a global environment.” We needed to align our thinking, he said, to a new international perspective and to gain knowledge both inside and outside of academia.

Saying knowledge was gained through study, experience and the use of technology, he emphasised: “Technological innovation is the catalyst for the liberalisation of financial markets and with it comes rapid evolution of knowledge.” He warned graduates not to become complacent in their knowledge. “The person who becomes complacent soon becomes irrelevant.” Howai challenged graduates to keep learning, quoting former US President Abraham Lincoln who said: “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”