Wake Forest University Announces new Financial Services and Fintech Hub in Charlotte with Kaplan Partnership

WFU will offer financial services, cybersecurity, data science and analytics programs to expand in-demand technical skills for Charlotte’s banking, finance and technology sectors.

CHARLOTTE, NC, March 2, 2020 -- Wake Forest University announced today it will open a new professional hub for Financial Services and Fintech in uptown Charlotte. The new course offerings are designed specifically for working professionals. This will expand executive education through non-credit courses, leading to a range of industry recognized certifications and designations.  Wake Forest has partnered with Kaplan, an industry leader in financial training and professional development, to create these options. Kaplan will provide a range of services including marketing and recruitment, as well as assistance with curriculum, course development and content.

“Charlotte is recognized as the nation's second largest financial center.  Wake Forest is launching these expanded options to support the ongoing professional development of individuals and organizations in the growing financial services and fintech sectors." says Todd Johnson, Vice President, Wake Forest University.

The new Financial Services and Fintech hub will initially provide live classroom instruction in over 30 topics focused on issues and credentials relevant to the ever-changing financial and fintech sectors in the US. These include: financial services licensing; cybersecurity training; professional designations in advanced financial services; data science; analytics literacy; accountancy; and wealth management certifications.

Kaplan Professional and sister companies CyberVista and Metis Data Science will provide subject matter expertise and training alongside existing Wake Forest University faculty.

In addition to traditional classroom instruction, the courses will also be delivered through a variety of modalities, including live-online instruction, asynchronous online courses, and with additional learning tools designed to meet the needs of the professional learner.

"Wake Forest is an innovative, world-renowned university and always looking for the right opportunity to support and serve employees, employers, and job-seekers effectively." said Andrew Temte, CEO of Kaplan Professional. “CEOs nationwide are concerned about reskilling and upskilling their workforces. This partnership between Wake Forest and Kaplan will help support Charlotte’s financial services and fintech industries with ongoing human capital development to fuel its growth."

The financial industry in Charlotte has grown significantly since 2000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs has increased 47.4% since the year 2000, compared to 11.7% growth for the United States as a whole.

The financial services and fintech hub plans to host top speakers and subject matter experts from the Charlotte area and across the United States addressing topics of interests in the areas of finance, fintech, and data security. Courses and events will be hosted from Wake Forest’s uptown campus at 200 N College St #150 in Charlotte and boasts a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art learning facility.

About Wake Forest University

Founded in 1834, Wake Forest University is a private university with more than 8,000 students. Its main campus is located in Winston-Salem, NC. The university also has a convenient uptown campus in the heart of Charlotte, NC’s professional city-center. Wake Forest offers a vibrant and diverse academic community in which students pursue learning in one or more of the 45 majors, 60 minors and additional programs we offer within our six colleges and schools.

In September 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wake Forest as one of the top 30 National Universities for the 23rd consecutive year. In addition to the overall standing of 27th place, Wake Forest stands 13th in Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching and 24th for Best Value.

About Kaplan Professional

Kaplan Professional, a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a leading provider of training and education services operating in more than 30 countries and working with over 10,000 corporations, universities and businesses globally. Kaplan Professional helps professionals obtain certifications, licensure and designations that enable them to advance and succeed in their careers. Kaplan Professional partners with organizations to solve their talent management challenges through customized corporate learning and development solutions. Through live and online instruction, Kaplan Professional provides test preparation, licensing, continuing education and professional development programs to businesses and individuals in the accounting, insurance, securities, real estate, financial, wealth management, engineering and architecture industries. Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and its largest division.

About Metis

Kaplan's Metis Data Science programs accelerate data science learning for individuals, companies and institutions through corporate training and accredited, immersive bootcamps. Metis programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET). Kaplan, Inc. is a leading global provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

About CyberVista

CyberVista is a cybersecurity workforce development company. CyberVista's mission is to build and strengthen organizations by providing cybersecurity professionals with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to drive growth and defense. Founded in 2016, CyberVista benefits from the rich 85-year history of Kaplan—one of the world’s premier training providers—as its sister company and ally. In 2018, CyberVista welcomed Transcender into the brand. Transcender brings over 25 years of helping organizations and practitioners build technical job skills across all areas of IT and cybersecurity

Press Contacts:

Wake Forest University
Carol Oliff
oliffcl@wfu.edu

Kaplan Professional
Kim Zinda
Kim.zinda@kaplan.com
(608) 386-8553