#Funding Formula Training Program 2025

[janeemmanuel]

Funding Formula Training Program Africa 2025 | Learn to Secure Grants & Build Sustainable Funding

🎓 The Funding Formula Training Program (Africa) 2025 Virtual Capacity Building for Changemakers The 4ther Firm is now accepting applications for The Funding Formula a virtual training program designed to empower African NGOs, social enterprises, startups, and community organizations with practical funding strategies and skills. This unique series aims to turn bold ideas into funded projects by…

[techit-rp]

Why Financial Modelling is the Backbone of Modern Business Strategy

In the dynamic landscape of business and finance, data-driven decision-making is more crucial than ever. At the core of this evolution lies financial modelling — a skill that has transformed from a specialized task into a strategic necessity. In 2025, companies across sectors rely on financial models not just for budgeting or forecasting, but for shaping long-term strategies, attracting investors, and navigating uncertainty. This makes learning financial modelling a must for aspiring professionals — and the best way to start is by enrolling in the best Financial Modelling Course in Delhi.

What is Financial Modelling?

At its core, financial modelling is the process of creating a structured representation of a company’s financial performance. These models typically incorporate historical data, key assumptions, and projections to simulate future outcomes. From startups evaluating funding needs to conglomerates analyzing mergers and acquisitions, financial models are the go-to tools for strategic insight.

A well-designed financial model provides clarity. It answers questions like:

How will a change in pricing impact profitability?

What happens if we expand to a new market?

Is this investment or project financially viable?

Why Financial Modelling is Critical in 2025

1. Foundation of Strategic Planning

Modern business strategy is not built on instinct—it’s built on numbers. Financial models provide a quantitative backbone to business plans, enabling leadership to make decisions rooted in data. Whether it’s launching a new product, entering a new region, or cutting costs, a financial model helps predict outcomes and measure impact.

2. Investor Communication and Fundraising

Startups and growing businesses often rely on financial models to pitch their value to investors. A detailed model can showcase revenue projections, cash flow scenarios, and break-even analyses — all crucial for convincing stakeholders. In fact, many venture capitalists and private equity firms demand models before even considering a proposal.

3. Risk Management and Scenario Analysis

In an uncertain economic environment, scenario planning is essential. Financial modelling allows companies to simulate various possibilities — best-case, worst-case, and everything in between. This ability to anticipate risks and prepare mitigation strategies is a significant competitive advantage.

4. Cross-functional Collaboration

Today’s financial professionals are expected to work closely with sales, operations, and product teams. Financial models become a shared language, bridging the gap between departments and aligning everyone toward common business objectives.

Skills Involved in Financial Modelling

To build and interpret robust financial models, professionals need a combination of technical and analytical skills. Key competencies include:

Advanced Excel proficiency (formulas, pivot tables, VBA/macros)

Understanding of accounting and finance principles

Valuation techniques (DCF, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions)

Scenario and sensitivity analysis

Dashboard creation and visualization tools

These skills are best developed through structured, hands-on training programs. If you're serious about entering the field, it's wise to enroll in the best Financial Modelling Course in Delhi, which typically includes practical assignments, case studies, and expert mentorship.

Who Should Learn Financial Modelling?

Financial modelling isn’t just for investment bankers. It’s highly valuable for:

Finance and accounting professionals

MBA students and management graduates

Entrepreneurs and startup founders

Consultants and business analysts

Product managers and strategy teams

Anyone involved in decision-making, budgeting, or strategic planning stands to benefit enormously from mastering this skill.

Why Delhi is Emerging as a Financial Modelling Hub

Delhi, being a commercial and educational hub, offers excellent opportunities for finance professionals. With numerous MNCs, startups, and consulting firms headquartered in and around the NCR, the demand for skilled financial modellers has soared.

Institutes offering the best Financial Modelling Course in Delhi often collaborate with industry experts, ensuring that learners get real-world exposure and practical knowledge. These courses usually include modules on equity research, M&A analysis, and project finance—skills highly valued by employers today.

Final Thoughts

In 2025, financial modelling is no longer a "good-to-have" skill. It’s an essential tool in every business leader’s toolkit. From strategizing growth to managing uncertainty and communicating with investors, financial models play a central role in business success.

If you're looking to future-proof your career, mastering financial modelling should be at the top of your list. And there's no better way to do that than by joining the best Financial Modelling Course in Delhi — where theory meets practice and learning leads to real-world impact.

[brocoffeeengineer]

Unlocking CFA Level III: Choosing Between Portfolio Management, Private Wealth, and Private Markets

For anyone journeying through the CFA Program, Level III has always been that final, daunting mountain. The place where all the ethics, formulas, and financial theories converge into real-world investment applications. But in 2025, things have shifted—and for good reason.

Instead of a single route, CFA Level III now offers three different paths: Portfolio Management, Private Wealth, and Private Markets. This is more than a curriculum update; it's a reflection of how the finance industry itself is evolving. The lines between investment roles have blurred, and the CFA Institute is clearly acknowledging that one size no longer fits all.

Let’s walk through what this change means for candidates—especially those trying to choose the path that best aligns with their career goals.

Why Did CFA Level III Change?

Finance has never stood still, and neither can the CFA Program. Over the last decade, there’s been a steady rise in specialized roles across investment firms. Portfolio managers don’t just manage institutional funds anymore—they might deal with venture capital or even ultra-high-net-worth clients. On the flip side, wealth advisors are expected to know about tax, succession, behavioral finance, and more.

Recognizing this shift, the CFA Institute introduced three tailored paths at Level III to help candidates build expertise where it matters most.

And honestly? It’s about time.

Let's Break Down the Three Pathways

1. Portfolio Management (PM)

This is the traditional CFA path. Ponder big-picture strategy for institutional clients—pensions, mutual funds, sovereign wealth funds. Asset allocation, economic analysis, rebalancing strategies, and performance measurement are the emphasis here.

Good fit for: Candidates interested in managing large-scale portfolios or working in asset management.

2. Private Wealth (PW)

Here’s where the human side of finance shines. You’re working closely with high-net-worth individuals or families. Topics dive deep into behavioral finance, estate planning, tax strategies, and aligning investments with personal values.

Good fit for: Those aiming to become wealth advisors or client relationship managers in private banks or family offices.

3. Private Markets (PMK)

This is the new comer to the scene—and perhaps the most thrilling. It specializes in private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, and other alternative investments. You will learn how to value illiquid assets, conduct due diligence, and structure transactions.

Best for: Individuals targeting jobs in PE firms, VC funds, or investment banking.

Which Path To Take?

The best part? You can't go that terribly wrong. Each of the three routes goes to the same CFA charter. But you should base your decision on where you envision yourself working in 5–10 years.

Consider these questions:

Do you prefer handling relationships or assets?

Would you like to immerse yourself in public markets or explore private equity?

Is your current work already skewed towards one of those categories?

If you’re still unsure, take a closer look at your own interests and experience. Sometimes, your current job can be the best guide.

How the Industry Is Reacting

Financial firms and recruiters have welcomed the update. Specialization helps hiring managers pinpoint candidates who are already familiar with the work they'll be doing. Instead of training someone from scratch, they get a CFA candidate who has seen case studies and questions directly related to that role.

According to a Bloomberg report, there's been a spike in interest for the Private Markets track—especially as private equity and alternative investments continue to outperform traditional asset classes.

Meanwhile, recruiters in the wealth management space say the Private Wealth path helps them find candidates who understand more than just numbers—they understand clients.

Preparing for the New CFA Level III

Let’s be honest—Level III has always been a beast. Now with specialized paths, the prep process is even more focused, which is both a blessing and a challenge.

Here are a few honest tips:

Stick to core topics first. Ethics, GIPS, and portfolio basics are still part of all three paths.

Use pathway-specific materials. Avoid generic prep. Choose mock exams, books, or platforms aligned with your chosen track.

Follow finance news regularly. Private markets especially are influenced by trends in VC funding, interest rates, and global economic shifts.

Connect with peers. Study groups are more helpful than ever since everyone’s on a unique path now.

Across growing financial hubs, the buzz is noticeable. In cities like Hyderabad, for instance, more finance professionals are signing up for a CFA course hyderabad to deepen their expertise and stay aligned with global standards. The added option of specialization is helping them get more strategic about their learning.

Are There Any Downsides?

Nothing major—but there’s a learning curve. Candidates now need to think ahead about their career track rather than blindly following a curriculum. Also, some worry about missing out on content from the other paths.

That said, CFA Level III still maintains shared core topics. And no one’s stopping you from self-studying topics from another path if you’re curious.

Real-World Relevance of Each Path

Let’s look at some practical examples:

A Portfolio Management candidate might evaluate the long-term performance of sovereign bonds in an institutional portfolio.

A Private Wealth candidate might be tested on how to adjust a portfolio based on a client’s risk aversion after a market crash.

A Private Markets candidate could face a case study involving the valuation of a pre-IPO tech startup.

See the difference? The focus is sharper, but the thinking is still strategic.

What This Means for the CFA Charter's Future

The CFA designation has always been about excellence, integrity, and deep financial knowledge. By allowing specialization at Level III, the CFA Institute is keeping that promise—but now with more career relevance.

It’s a nod to today’s fast-changing investment landscape. Clients expect more. Markets are more complex. Roles are more niche. And candidates? They deserve an education that reflects that reality.

Conclusion: Choosing Your Own CFA Adventure

At the end of the day, the new pathways aren’t about making things harder—they’re about making things smarter. Instead of learning everything for everyone, you now get to learn what truly matters to your future role.

Whether you end up advising ultra-wealthy clients, structuring billion-dollar private equity deals, or managing large institutional portfolios, you’re still earning the same respected CFA designation. You’re just doing it your way.

And for candidates pursuing a CFA Training Program in hyderabad, this evolution comes at a perfect time—offering them a way to stand out in a fast-growing finance sector while still staying globally competitive.

The journey is still intense. The reward? Even greater.

[openmindedcare1]

Transport Assistance For People With Disabilities

Assisted travel and transport supports are based on a person’s individual needs and goals. NDIS funding can help with private transport or disability-friendly vehicles.

Transport assistance Cranbourne is important for individuals who need reliable access to jobs and services. These programs can also elevate employment rates in communities. This is a great way to reduce poverty and promote social equity.

NDIS

The NDIS is a national scheme to help people with disabilities achieve their goals. It provides funding for a range of supports, including assistive technology and mobility aids. It also provides support coordination and other support services.

You can access the NDIS if you have a permanent disability that affects your ability to participate in daily life. This can be an intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, psychosocial or physical disability. You must meet the eligibility criteria and pass a planning process to become a participant.

There are three different support budgets you can choose from in your NDIS plan: Core, Capacity and Capital. These are all designed to help you live a more independent life. You can use your support budget to fund a variety of supports that help you reach your goals, including employment, social participation and living arrangements. You can also use your support budget to buy equipment and assistive technology. This can include things like wheelchairs, tablets and assistive listening devices.

Private

Using your General Transport funding, you can book a taxi or rideshare service to get you where you need to go. This can include trips to doctors’ clinics, supermarkets, entertainment and leisure venues. This type of support is a Capacity Building Support, which aims to improve your independence and self-confidence by building skills you can use in the community.

Getting to and from the Cranbourne Gardens is easier than ever with the new shuttle bus, purchased jointly by Friends of the Gardens and RBGV. It’s comfortable, wheelchair accessible and has a compliant baby seat.

Victoria’s Big Build is making the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines level crossing-free by 2025.

Public

The public sector has an important role to play in transport assistance. This includes ensuring that transportation is affordable and accessible to all, particularly those with limited incomes or disabilities. It also ensures that the system is safe and reliable.

The government provides funding to states to support their public transit systems. This is done through a statutory formula to replace and improve bus fleets, purchase buses and buses-related equipment, and construct facilities. The funding can also be used to operate a low- or no-emissions bus pilot program and ferry service for rural areas.

The Friends of Cranbourne Gardens have recently purchased a new shuttle bus for our non-urgent medical transport services. This service enables people without access to other forms of transport to visit the Gardens. You can make a booking for this service through your GP or health worker. The bus is comfortable, 8 seater, wheelchair accessible (x1 chair) and has a compliant pram space.

Disability

People with a disability can get help with transport assistance through their NDIS plan. The support is tailored based on the individual’s goals and needs. It can include training and support to use public transport or to use a wheelchair accessible vehicle. It can also include access to therapy services to improve motor skills and increase independence.

You can also get financial assistance to pay for taxis through the Multi Purpose Taxi Program. This program pays 50 per cent of the taxi fare, up to $60 per trip. The subsidy may be capped on a yearly basis.

The Friends of Cranbourne Gardens provides a shuttle bus service for visitors who don’t have their own car and cannot access the Gardens by train. The bus is wheelchair accessible and has a baby seat. The shuttle bus can be booked for visits between Cranbourne train station and the Gardens, pending driver availability.

[t-baba]

How to Get Involved in the Booming Python Job Market

From finance to artificial intelligence, data science to web development, there isn't an area in which Python isn't consolidated and flourishing. So let's discuss actual salaries, skills in demand, marketplaces, and what to do in order to remain competitive.

The Job Market Today

Information technology has created an extremely varied and dynamic market, and saying "computer science" alone is something of an umbrella term now, as pretty much everything has elements of IT in it to different degrees — from the algorithms that recommend which TV series you should watch, to the code in which this page has been programmed, and even the software integrating your home appliances with your mobile.

From this wide array of areas — all of them careers in their own right — we'll pick a handful. All of them are within multi-million/billion-dollar industries that are particularly hot as of 2020, and will most probably remain active in the foreseeable future.

We are talking:

AI

cloud development

cryptocurrencies and finance

data science

web development and mobile apps

Nearly any position in an exciting, forward-moving and profitable industry will require Python mastery. (Stack Overflow Trends very eloquently shows how Python gained traction since 2008 until becoming the most talked about programming language.)

But programming alone won't cut it. You’ll also need solid knowledge specific to the industry in which you'll be applying for before you'll be considered for the position.

Let's examine how Python has stacked up against other languages in each field during the last five years on Google Trends, and also discuss what additional knowledge will be expected from you.

Statistics Analysis and Deep Learning

//

Machine learning: Python compared to R and MATLAB.

It's probably not necessary to explain why Artificial intelligence (AI) it is hot right now. In fact, it seems like a formula for financial success over the past decade was:

fund an AI startup

successfully develop a proof-of-concept

be funded or acquired

collect profit.

(Man do I abuse oversimplifications!)

Machine learning is still on, but these days .the name of the game is deep learning*; and if you’d like to dig even deeper, look at convolutional neural networks.

Extra: see 5 Ways to Get Started with Machine Learning for some resources on the topic.

Math

But let's not leave it just at AI. Enter math.

Have you heard about the law of the instrument? Abraham Maslow famously said: "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."

In our current situation, what that means is that if all we know is AI, whatever problem is presented at us we're going to try to find data sets and train algorithms for it, when surprisingly often what we needed was just a simple probabilistic model to be able to make a quick prediction. In other words — math.

If you’d like to go a step further and complement your AI knowledge, look into:

descriptive statistics

probability theory

inference

linear algebra (wouldn't hurt either)

Salaries

The share of jobs requiring AI skills has grown 4.5x in the last five years, with one in four of North American companies having ML embedded in at least one enterprise function as of 2018. Additionally, Apple, Facebook, and Google are investing in deep reinforcement learning (DRL), and AI-enabled tools are expected to generate nearly $3 trillion in business value by 2021, with the Natural Language Processing (NPL) market alone predicted to reach $22 billion by 2025.

With all this, it's no surprise that top AI specialists are making $300-500k salaries. (Source: Udacity.)

Microservices and Serverless Computing

//

Serverless architecture: Python compared to JavaScript and Go.

This is another way of saying integrating services with the cloud — and yet it's another field you can be most certain will keep on growing.

In the "serverless" execution model, companies are able to reduce maintenance, save costs, and effectively exchange information across all platforms.

What and Where

There are a number of cloud infrastructure providers, but to remain competitive you can focus on handling things with these three:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Microsoft Azure

Particularly, you want to be able to implement and deploy APIs with AWS Lambda and the Amazon API Gateway — or their equivalents in Google's Cloud Functions and Microsoft's Azure Functions.

Extra: see a Comparison of Shared and Cloud Hosting, and How to Choose to further understand how these cloud providers structure their services.

Salaries

DevOps-related roles have have doubled since 2015, and there are more than 50K+ cloud computing jobs in the US alone

For a cloud specialist in the US the median salary is $146K. (Source: Udacity.)

The post How to Get Involved in the Booming Python Job Market appeared first on SitePoint.

by Lucero del Alba via SitePoint https://ift.tt/32366VT

[rickhorrow]

10 TO WATCH : MAYOR’S EDITION 81919

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 19 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Jay-Z and the NFL partner on entertainment content and social activism. The NFL is partnering with Jay-Z in a deal that "will put him in charge of managing some entertainment options for the league and will tie into the sport's social justice endeavors," according to the Washington Post and other sources. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency will become a co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show, but the deal "does not contain a provision for him to be the halftime performer." Roc Nation "will choose entertainers who will perform in NFL content throughout the season." Jay-Z said that he "believes that Roc Nation will have the freedom" to produce the "kind of entertainment that it wants." The community activism portion of the partnership "will be tied into the NFL’s existing 'Inspire Change' program with its players.” While Jay-Z faced many questions surrounding his alignment with the NFL while Colin Kaepernick – who Carter has supported quite vocally – remains unemployed, as Carter rightly pointed out, his involvement will likely direct a lot more money to social justice issues. This is a huge win for the NFL, and the potentially positive impact of Jay-Z being willing to join forces with the league — especially now — cannot be overstated.

The LPGA and Group1001 announce a new official LPGA Tour event coming to Boca Raton, Florida in January, 2020. The first edition of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will be held January 20-26 at Boca Rio Golf Club. The event will feature a 108-player field competing for a $2 million purse over 72 holes of stroke play. Boca Rio Golf Club, founded in 1967 and designed by Robert von Hagge, is situated four miles from the Atlantic Ocean on 200 acres of native Florida wilderness with no developed real estate. “We are thrilled to support women’s professional golf and to provide a platform for the sport’s best to compete and showcase their talents,” said Dan Towriss, Group1001 CEO. The new event will be one of two LPGA Tour tournaments held in Florida in January. The year will kick off with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions January 15-19 in Lake Buena Vista, one week prior to the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.

With television revenue rolling in, Power 5 schools are engaged in a new kind of arms race, paying significantly more money than ever before to coaches in so-called non-revenue sports. USA Today examined how much money each Power 5 public school paid its head coaches in 23 sports other than football and men's and women's basketball 2013-2018. In that five-year span, total compensation for those coaches grew 43%, almost the same rate of increase as that of football coaches (51%). In 2005, D-I schools spent more on scholarships than on coaches and administrative pay. Since then, the latter have pulled ahead. In 2005, $736 million was spent on scholarships, $721 million on coaches’ pay, and $686 million on administrative pay. By 2018, $1.92 billion was going to coaches’ pay, $1.72 billion to administrative pay, and $1.7 billion to athlete scholarships. That “compensation for coaches in lower-profile, money-losing sports has been growing at a similar rate to football raises red flags for some athletics directors worried about budget crunches.” It also raises red flags for NCAA critics, who look at skyrocketing salaries in non-revenue sports alongside unpaid student-athletes and see a broken system.

The completion of a $315 million renovation has transformed the 96-year-old Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from "ravaged to ravishing," according to the Los Angeles Times. The "wide concourse and new concession stands are welcome, and the views from the 1923 Club on the rooftop are dazzling." Every fan will "benefit from enhancements made during the two-year process." Every seat in the stadium is "new and wider and is equipped with a cupholder." Capacity will be 77,500, down from 92,348. Signs on the tunnels were "added to help fans find newly numbered seats, and new video boards and more than 600 TV screens will make it easy to follow games." There will be "more concession stands and the restrooms will continue to undergo improvement during the season." The Times noted 21 of 22 suites at the Coliseum have been sold at prices that ranged from $7.5-10 million with a "commitment of 20 years.” The renovated building will be a much more desirable destination for Trojans fans for years to come, and for Rams fans in their final season before the new Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park opens next year.

It’s back to school time, and in Washington DC, Monumental and EVERFI support STEM. As students across the nation are returning to the classroom, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder and Chairman Ted Leonsis is "spearheading a multipronged effort to improve schools and fuel economic growth in the impoverished neighborhoods" around Entertainment & Sports Arena in DC's Ward 8. According to the Washington Times, the initiative, called "Forward8," includes "pushing for the expansion of advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics" programs in DC schools. Monumental’s Beltway neighbor, education technology leader EVERFI, is likewise proactive in community engagement, empowering more teachers, citizens, and students to get involved with game-based, incentive driven online education that fosters greater comprehension, retention, and behavior change. By bringing together the public and private sectors to change the way education is delivered, EVERFI is equipping today’s learners across the nation with the skills they need to become tomorrow’s leaders, while Monumental is leading the way toward helping improve education, the workforce of tomorrow, and the community in their own backyard.

Formula One has recorded a modest year-on-year rise in revenues for the second financial quarter of 2019, going from $585 million in 2018 to $620 million in its latest financial filing. Operating income rose from $14 million to $26 million over the same period, according to SportsPro. The global motor sport series’ ten teams also saw an increase in their combined payments between April and June from $307 million to $335 million, with the figure directly linked to the overall revenue increase. Formula One’s owners Liberty Media in a statement further explained the overall change in revenues: “Broadcast revenue increased primarily due to contractual rate increases. Advertising and sponsorship revenue increased due to revenue from new sponsorship agreements entered into beginning in the second half of 2018. Other Formula One revenue decreased in the second quarter primarily due to the mix of races, which resulted in lower TV production and Paddock Club revenue.” Formula One CEO Chase Carey also told investors that Liberty Media is making "good headway" in its moves to add a second race in the U.S. Miami and Las Vegas remain the two potential landing cities.

Nike launches first shoe subscription service, two years in the making. According to Fast Company, the retail giant launched the Nike Adventure Club, which sends a pair of Nike or Converse kicks to kids at regular intervals. Club members can receive them on a monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly basis. Each pair of shoes works out to $50-$60 a pair — which puts the service on the higher end of the kids’ sneaker market. What’s more, when a child grows out of a pair or they get worn out, you can send shoes back — either in the Adventure Club box or by requesting a prepaid shoe bag — to the company, and even include non-Nike shoes you want to get rid of. If a shoe is in good condition, Nike will donate it to a nonprofit. But if it has reached the end of its life, Nike will recycle it through its Grind program, which breaks down athletic footwear to turn it into other products, including running tracks and playgrounds. Because of this, Nike is pitching the program as a way to make kid’s shoes sustainable.

Louisiana state commission approves bond sale for Superdome upgrades. Louisiana's State Bond Commission has given the Mercedes-Benz Superdome's governing body the "go-ahead" to sell up to $350 million in bonds to "fund its stadium upgrade project," according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The approval is a "major step" for the venue's $450 million makeover. It comes after committee members quizzed Saints President Dennis Lauscha and SMG Executive Vice President of Stadiums and Arenas Doug Thornton about "why the spending was needed and how much the state of Louisiana would have to contribute." Thornton said that they "had studied alternatives for more than two years, including various renovations as well as building an entirely new stadium." Even though the Superdome received $336 million worth of upgrades in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and before it hosted Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, the new upgrades are needed to keep the building competitive based on NFL benchmarks and new stadiums nationwide competing for Super Bowls and other mega events. By 2025, the end of the Saints' current lease, the Superdome is projected to have a total fiscal impact of $19.9 billion.

The Cleveland Browns open up training camp and help puppies find homes. According to The Athletic, more and more NFL teams are limiting public access to training camp, but the Browns are doing the opposite. The team has expanded camp over the past few years to make it more fan- and family-friendly and has added several sets of large bleachers, food trucks and beer stands, and games for kids and teens. The highlight of the training camp is Browns Puppy Pound, which adopts out puppies from the Northeast Ohio SPCA during every open practice. More than 110 dogs have been adopted thus far in training camp this year and more than 450 puppies have been adopted through the partnership since the Puppy Pound debuted in 2015. By bringing the dogs to a place where people are happy to be going, the Browns have helped nearly 500 dogs find homes.

The annual Gagne-Bergeron Pro-Am raised over $450,000 for children’s charities in the Boston area.  The event took place on August 8 and featured 10,000 fans in attendance to watch the annual charity hockey game. Now in its 11th year, the event has funneled $2 million to charity since its inception. Notable names who participated in this year’s event includes Paul Stansy as a representative of Golden Knights on the ice. According to Le Journal de Quebec, Philippe Boucher Foundation, the Maurice Tanguay Foundation and the Simple Plan Foundation will benefit from the money raised at the event which included the participation of 21 NHL players and other amateur players at the Videotron Center in Quebec. Hockey is a close-knit community and by bringing together notable names in the off-season, fans stay engaged with players while also helping those in need.

[worklabournewsresearch]

Performance Based Funding and E-Learning: Changes to Education in Ontario

“Ontario’s new performance-based funding model for colleges and universities will focus on 10 metrics that include employment and graduation rates, the amount of research and industry funding the institutions receive and the demonstrated skills of their students. ... By 2025, up to 60 per cent of operating grant funding from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities will be linked to performance measures, although a number of details remain unclear, such as whether, or by how much, institutions could see their funding cut for failing to reach their targets.”

“The list of metrics includes six described as skills and jobs outcomes: graduate earnings, experiential learning, skills and competencies, graduation rate, graduate employment, and one related to a particular institutional strength or focus. ... Four metrics are related to economic and community impact: funding from industry, funding for research or apprenticeship (research for universities, apprenticeship for colleges), and then an institution-specific measure for economic impact and another for community impact.”

The Globe and Mail, April 16, 2019: “New metrics for Ontario university and college funding include employment and graduation rates,” by Joe Friesen

OCUFA, April 16, 2019: “Ontario faculty alarmed by proposal to overhaul university funding in provincial budget”

Performance Based Funding (PBF) Council of Ontario Universities Analysis extract: Possible Unintended Impacts/ Perverse Incentives:

“There may be unanticipated compliance costs or transition costs associated with PBF: a major gap in the available research on PBF is the lack of studies on the costs to institutions of meeting demands for data; developing effective organizational learning capacity; mounting initiatives to improve performance; and evaluating the results of these initiatives (Dougherty & Reddy, 2011).”

“PBF could result in grade inflation and weakening of academic standards: because PBF is often structured around financial rewards for course or degree completion, institutions may be incentivized to inflate grades, or reduce academic rigour in order to improve their performance related to those metrics.”

“PBF could create restrictions  of student admissions/ disincentives to serve non-traditional students: the most straightforward and least costly way to improve rates of graduation is to raise the standard of admission, or employ a more selective admission process (not improvements to teaching, services, etc.). If performance metrics are constructed around financial rewards for course or degree completion, there may be an incentive to change admission practices.”

“Certain PBF formulas have made provisions for mitigating this risk by providing a premium for certain populations such as low-income students, or adult students. However, it is unclear that this additional funding will offset the additional costs. Additionally, overfunding for certain groups could create another perverse incentive and disadvantage other groups who are not assigned premiums.”

“PBF could result in a diminished faculty voice in university governance because of a lack of understanding, or information about performance funding.”

“A possible unintended impact that could be a disadvantage for governments is the potential for PBF to expose inadequacies of funding for higher education. PBF could expose a lack of resources as a driver for poor performance.”

Council of Ontario Universities, December 2013: Performance-Based Funding Council of Ontario (31 pages, PDF)

OCUFA, February 11, 2015: Performance funding: The burden of proof 

“The province’s universities and colleges were given the first details of these metrics via conference call on Tuesday ]April 16th ] afternoon.” ... New Strategic Mandate Agreements that will describe these metrics and how they will be used at the 45 colleges and universities across the province remain to be negotiated over the coming months.”

The Globe and Mail, April 16, 2019: “New metrics for Ontario university and college funding include employment and graduation rates,” by Joe Friesen

HIgher Education Strategy Associates: How do you measure skills and competencies?

“Yesterday,  I critiqued most of the indicators being suggested for the new Ontario PBF system.  But I left one out because I thought it was worth a blog all on its own, and that is the indicator related to “skills and competencies”.  It’s the indicator that is likely to draw the most heat from the higher education traditionalists, and so it is worth drilling into.”

HIgher Education Strategy Associates, April 24, 2019: “Performance-Based Funding 101: Measuring Skills,” by Alex Usher

HIgher Education Strategy Associates One thought Blog

Ontario high schools being “modernized” with mandatory e-learning courses?

“On March 15, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced a plan to ‘modernize classrooms.’ It includes a strategy to centralize electronically delivered education and mandate four e-learning credits for secondary students — out of the 30 credits needed for a high school diploma — starting in 2020-21. It includes larger high school class sizes and the axing of 3,475 teaching positions in the next four years.”

“But the reforms — part of the Ford government's cost-cutting measures — have elicited outrage from opposition leaders, civic activists, educators and reformers. They have expressed concerns that it will reduce graduation rates and mark a decline in the state of public education. ... ‘Technology, applied purposefully, is transformative; it is not an end in itself,’ Farhadi's [dissertation] says. ‘...the assumption that e-learning can serve students on a first-come, first-served basis contradicts the politics of access, from which inequality emerges.’”

“E-learning has not leveled the playing field for students across Ontario. ... The report found that the program favoured a specific class and race of Toronto society over others (middle-class and white). ... Those who don't have access to technology, to internet and the capacity to learn independently have generally stayed away from the elective e-learning curriculum, or dropped out from it.”

National Observer, April 9, 2019: “Ontario may be creating student inequality with mandatory online learning: report,” by Fatima Syed

Beyhan Farhadi, April 8, 2019: “A Summary of Findings: “The Sky’s the Limit”: On the Impossible Promise of E-Learning in the Toronto District School Board,” by Beyhan Farhad