The Centre will support employees in the insurance and personal finance sector in Glasgow and further afield to study for professional qualifications.

The centre provides members with:

•CII course books and study reference materials

•Free Wi-Fi and internet

•Fully stocked lending library

•Cafe Bar

Lesley McFarlane, IASG President commented: "We are very excited by our relationship with the Mitchell Library which will improve the accessibility of learning support for those working within the insurance and financial services industries. The project will help propel the IASG into the 21st Century and become a valuable resource not only for Glasgow, but also the rest of Scotland." The Centre has been supported by Culture and Sport Glasgow, as well as Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise, the two public sector partners behind Glasgow's International Financial Services District (IFSD).

The IFSD Partnership welcomed the opening of the study and reference centre.

Councillor Steven Purcell, leader, Glasgow City Council commented; "This is great news for Glasgow's International Financial Services District and is the latest in a series of initiatives to ensure that Glasgow continues to offer a ready supply of skilled and highly qualified people to work for financial services companies in the city. With 1 in 13 people in Glasgow currently working in financial services and 3500 in the general insurance sector alone, I am sure it will prove to be a very useful resource."

Ends

Notes to Editor

The IASG has already been using The Mitchell over the past 2/3 years for regular CPD events, and also as a CII examination centre. The Study and Reference facility is an excellent addition to the membership proposition in Glasgow and will allow IASG, as a Local Institute, to become much more visible to members. CII Learning Services are also currently formulating plans to run a comprehensive programme of Face-to-Face Training Courses at The Mitchell throughout 2009 which will further increase the offering to CII members not only in Glasgow, but across Scotland and the North of England.

Glasgow's International Financial Services District

Launched in 2001, the International Financial Services District (IFSD) is a £1 billion project to create a highly attractive environment for indigenous and overseas firms in finance and related sectors. As a pre-equipped business area, it is designed to allow fast track occupancy by financial firms seeking a new UK location for their operations.

Covering approx one square Kilometre between St Vincent Street and the River Clyde, the IFSD is a ten year project which aims to deliver over 2 million square feet of new office space, 20,000 new jobs, a £50 million investment in the broadband network and a highly trained, flexible workforce through skills initiatives. Since launch over 15,000 jobs have been created in the IFSD.

Several of the world's leading financial companies now have a presence in the IFSD including Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, esure, Direct Line, ACE, First Data, Barclays and National Australia Group. Their presence underlines Glasgow's credentials as a leading centre in the financial industry. Over 30,000 people work in Glasgow in financial services, representing 1 in 13 of all employees in the City.