Photo, left to right: Trevor Holder, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour; Dr. Petra Hauf, Vice President of UNB’s Saint John campus; Matthew Nicolle, CPSA’s Executive Sales Ambassador for Atlantic Canada; Dr. Shelley Rinehart, Executive Director of the MBA program on the Saint John campus; and UNB President Paul J. Mazerolle.
Last month government, university and business leaders gathered at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in uptown Saint John to celebrate its new Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) licensed exam centre.
The enhanced collaboration between UNB and CPSA, the national governing body for sales professionals, will benefit students and companies in Atlantic Canada.
An easily accessible pathway to professional designation attracts more students to UNB’s programs, which results in well-qualified workers for the labour market.
“The CPSA is excited about this opportunity to bring more qualified sales professionals to the market through UNB’s championing of the designation program,” Matthew Nicolle, CPSA’s Executive Sales Ambassador for Atlantic Canada, told the crowd.
In 2020, UNB’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) in business development and professional sales became the first MBA stream in Canada to be accredited by the CPSA. This milestone set students up for success by enabling them to graduate with the pre-requisite education for the Certified Sales Professional Designation.
The launch of a CPSA licensed exam centre at UNB, the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada, builds on this partnership. Successful graduates of UNB accredited programs, who meet sales experience requirements, can now accelerate their certification journey by completing the Certified Sales Professional exam at UNB.
The enhanced collaboration between UNB and CPSA advances the university’s strategic plan by providing UNB students with the opportunity to develop skills and connections that help them succeed after they leave UNB.
During the event, UNB President Paul J. Mazerolle thanked Dr. Shelley Rinehart, Executive Director of the MBA program on the Saint John campus, and her team for “their dedication to improving the academic experience of UNB’s MBA students in Saint John.”
Dr. Petra Hauf, Vice President of UNB’s Saint John campus, thanked business leaders at the event for their partnership. “Partnerships like yours strengthen the program and our ties with the CPSA.”
Post and image credit: UNB. Author: Marcia Seitz-Ehler