Staff Training

CALAPRS offers several training courses on various topics of interest for retirement system staff. The Overview, Intermediate and Advanced Courses are part of CALAPRS' three-part Retirement Plan Administration series and are intended for the staff of CALAPRS member retirement systems. Participants may attend any or all sessions, it is not necessary to attend in sequence.

Overview Course in Retirement Plan Administration

The Overview Course is the entry-level training in Retirement Plan Administration. Attendees will gain an overall knowledge of how a public defined benefit pension system operates and its value to the members of their system as well as an introduction to three main types of California public retirement systems. While this course is considered a primer, it is a perfect program for those staff members wishing to reacquaint themselves with the basics of retirement, and it is a good foundation for those staff members who will take the Intermediate or Advanced Courses (below) at a later date. It is a one-day virtual course generally held in late Spring.

Intermediate Course in Retirement Plan Administration

The Intermediate Course is a series of interactive sessions that cover the major topics that regularly appear on a Board of Retirement’s Agenda. After taking the course, you’ll be able to answer: 1. What research and preparation goes into the various topics that are presented to the Board through their agendas? 2. How are they presented? 3. How are decisions reached? The audience will be expected to participate via questions and small study groups. The program is generally held on a Wednesday through Friday in November and topics covered typically include: retirement benefits, investment issues (assets), pension funding & actuarial valuation, and fiduciary duty.

Advanced Course in Retirement Plan Administration

The Advanced Course is a series of business topics that will have a direct impact on public pensions in the coming years. This information should prove useful for staff operational planning. The Course has been designed to encourage active interaction between speakers and participants. It is generally held on a Wednesday through Friday in December and topics typically covered include: interpretation of the PEPRA, California pension funding assumptions, politics and legislation, the future of IT, measuring quality performance, understanding DC plans, CAFR, actuary 101, and the role of trustees.