The SPARK Education Committee and Professional Development Solutions, LLC offer retirement plan industry courses and investment education seminars.

Retirement Industry Training

The U.S. Defined Contribution Plans Overview Program is designed to help individuals develop a comprehensive understanding of defined contribution retirement plans and the issues facing the industry. The course has both an administrative track and a sales and marketing track to address each individual's career responsibilities.

• Successful completion of the administrative track earns the Accredited Retirement Plan Specialist (ARPS) designation.

	This program is available as a blended program which includes an online core curriculum (detailed outline) and an interactive 2-day classroom session (detailed outline).
	It is also available as a 5-day classroom session (detailed outline).

• Successful completion of the sales and marketing track earns the Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant (ARPC) designation:
  

  The sales and marketing program is available as an online core curriculum (detailed outline) and an interactive 1-day classroom session (detailed outline).

Investment Education Seminars

These classroom workshops (detailed outline) include The Fundamentals which is a 1-day session and Building on the Fundamentals, which is a 1.5-day session. They are designed to teach service providers, primarily client service representatives, participant telephone representatives and enrollment specialists, how to explain general investment concepts to defined contribution plan clients. Although the seminars can be delivered as a single workshop, they are typically offered as two separate seminars.

For more information, contact Professional Development Solutions.