The most recent company to achieve "recognized" status under the CIMA Training Through Partnership (TTP) scheme is the State Pharmaceuticals’ Corporation (SPC), says a press release. This is the first state — owned organization to have entered the CIMA TTP scheme.

SPC is the sole supplier of pharmaceuticals and surgical items to the government medical supplies division which in turn supplies all government hospitals within the country. They maintain fourteen "Rajya Osusalas" islandwide.

At a brief ceremony held at the CIMA Secretariat, Sudharshan Senaratne, deputy president, CIMA Sri Lanka division presented the TTP Certificate to Prof. Colvin Gooneratne, Chairman, SPC.

TTP aims to raise the standard of training support provided to CIMA students and recognises those organisations which provide training in accordance with CIMA’s quality standards for chartered management accountants.

Organisations participating in the TTP scheme will benefit from:

• a practical, flexible training approach accessible to all employers across the spectrum from multi-national to owner managed business;

• improved recruitment and retention of quality students;

• the opportunity to benchmark training support against CIMA’s quality standards;

• publicity by CIMA as a quality partner and

• an independent review of training support provided with suggestions for future development.

TTP offers two certificates, CIMA recognized and CIMA quality approved. CIMA recognised is awarded to those organisations providing training support that meets threshold standards for all recognised CIMA students. The "CIMA quality approved", is awarded to organisations providing training support in line with recommended and core best practice standards. Sampath Bank is the only quality approved TTP organisation in Sri Lanka.

The ten recognized TTP companies are Zillione Systems, Martime Holdings, KPMG Ford Rhodes Thornton and Co, Ernst and Young, S. J. Associates, Slimline, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Nestle Lanka, Aitken Spence and SPC.

A recent survey among quality approved organisations carried out worldwide, reveals that:

• TTP is key in developing quality business managers in organisations.

• Student exam pass rates are significantly higher in TTP organisations and

• TTP is beneficial in recruitment and retention of students.

TTP is seen as a quality product that attracts good quality applicants and turns out the desired ‘business’ managers (as opposed to simply accountants). Others who were present at this occasion were CIMA divisional manager Aruna Alwis, SPC’s finance director Mahinda Gamage and CIMA Sri Lanka division executive director Upali Ratnayake.