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Many companies that employ graduates have training programmes to ensure that they develop and adapt their skills to further the aims and objectives of the organisation. If requested, the IMA will assess graduate training schemes in terms of their suitability for graduate mathematicians working towards chartered mathematician and chartered scientist status. Below is a list of requirements that such schemes should meet for IMA approval.

Requirements for Graduate Training Schemes

Associate Members who complete an approved graduate training scheme will have met the postgraduate and experience requirements for the Member grade. They will also have made a significant contribution towards meeting the training and experience requirements for Chartered Mathematician (CMath).

The Institute expects the employer to provide:

• training and development that meets our requirements for Advanced Membership and CMath,
• the provisions of the Institute’s Initial Professional Development Scheme (IPD).

The Institute will expect graduates to demonstrate:

• the required level of competence in the appropriate skills listed in our document IPDS 4.
• mathematical competence in applying:
• • General skills learned in their degree
  • Practical problem solving using mathematical techniques; and
  • Have supervised experience of applying mathematical skills appropriate to the business of their employer.

Use of the Institute’s IPD scheme documentation on a day-to-day basis is discretionary but graduates should become familiar with the scheme’s content and they will need to complete the forms when they apply for CMath.

The requirement for approval is as follows. The scheme should:

1. last for a minimum of four years of which the first two years can be expected to place an emphasis on training and the second two years to emphasise experience;
2. contain an induction to the employer’s organisation and business objectives and methods of operation;
3. develop skills and competences in the categories ‘mathematical’ and ‘generic’ as well as any others appropriate to the employer’s business in accordance with the IMA IPD scheme as defined in the document IPDS 4;
4. set out a training plan, scheduled in advance and recorded in a log book;
5. provide for an examination at least once a year of the graduate’s logbook by a colleague of appropriate seniority and a review of progress;
6. contain provision for continuing professional development (CPD) to enable the graduate to acquire/maintain scientific and technical knowledge at a level required for satisfactory completion of duties;
7. provide a mentor for each graduate with meetings at least twice a year.

The Institute’s Professional Affairs Committee, to whom Council has delegated authority for approval, will consider any scheme put forward. Approval is granted for a period of five years.

Employers wishing to obtain IMA approval may contact Alan Peacock.

Related Documents

Download IPDS 4 – competence levels [Word]