It doesn't field any sports teams or confer any degrees, but Raymond James University offers about 400 courses, ranging from a two-hour overview of the company intranet to a nine-month weekly class covering the art collection lining the walls at headquarters.

Most of the students are after skills that will improve their on-the-job performance or their chances of promotion at Raymond James Financial Inc. Those in the art class have volunteered to become tour guides for the 1,800-piece art collection, most of which belongs to chairman Tom James and his wife, Mary.

Some RJU classes focus on developing skills such as conflict resolution, assertiveness and business writing. Others are more technical, covering investment products, regulations or technology applications. The Raymond James Branch Experience even takes headquarters employees on a field trip to a branch office.

More than 80 percent of the employees at the St. Petersburg headquarters took at least one class last year; the average was 2.5. Branch office employees take classes online.

"This plays a big role in employee mobility," said Barbara Fischer, who manages the program, which has a staff of 25 and taps the skills of 52 employees who serve as adjunct teachers.

"It's like working in an art gallery here," she said.