Specialist Certification Stimulates Development of Leasing in Ukraine
Ukraine’s leasing industry is experiencing strong growth on a percentage basis, but the amount of lease financing is still very low compared to other countries. In 2005, of all investment in fixed assets in Ukraine, less than two percent was financed through leasing. This compares to an average of approximately 15 percent in other Central and Eastern Europe countries. Over the past several years, Ukraine’s leasing industry has experienced a threefold increase in the number of companies and a fourfold increase in the number of people employed in the industry. Nevertheless, there is a significant deficit of qualified specialists for leasing companies to source key personnel and a lack of outside training providers to assist them in developing the people they do hire.
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| Director Earl Gast presents a Program graduate with Certified Leasing Specialist certificate |
To facilitate professional development in the leasing industry and build the capacity of market participants, USAID's Access to Credit Initiative (ATCI), in partnership with the UKRLEASING National Leasing Association and the U.S. Foundation of Certified Leasing Professionals, launched the Certified Leasing Specialist (CLS) Program. ATCI developed the training course and examination questions, and held introductory seminars to explain and promote the Program. The highlights of all 13 training topics, split into three modules, were presented to leasing industry experts and potential trainers.
Having completed the training course, 26 individuals successfully passed the ATCI exam and received certificates that recognized their core competencies. Among the 26 graduates, 12 directors the top managers of leasing companies, and 14 were representatives of consulting companies with the potential to become training providers.
In the future, ATCI seeks to create a Society of Certified Leasing Specialists, which would offer courses for individuals seeking to achieve the status of a Certified Leasing Specialist. The Society would also organize seminars; observe and maintain the ethics and professional standards of certified specialists; expand training topics for further professional development of certified specialists; and, manage program content.
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