Kingswood Group has launched its advice academy after four trainees from across the UK started the 24-month programme.
The wealth firm will follow in the steps of St James’s Place, Openwork, Schroders Personal Wealth and Quilter with the academy in a bid to bolster the depleting number of advisers in the sector.
The two-year programme is designed to nurture existing talent and engage with aspiring financial planners who are looking to start or switch careers into the wealth sector. Upon completion, the trainee advisers will receive a Diploma in Financial Planning.
The current trainees include ex-service personnel, an entrepreneur and an ex-motoring sector professional. Throughout their training, they will acquire technical and people skills, and develop their financial planning knowledge.
The candidates have a 13-week rotation in wealth planning and will be shadowing a wealth planner during the period.
In addition to set projects and tasks throughout the programme, they will participate in external and internal training sessions.
‘Organic growth’
Leigh Philpot, head of wealth management at Kingswood, said: “We are a young forward-looking company committed to the development of our people and having a positive impact on the next generation of financial advice.
“The Kingswood Academy is not only an important initiative for our people and clients, but it will be pivotal in organically growing our business over the long-term.
“This new generation of advisers will most importantly speak the same language as a new generation of clients.
“With a new generation of bright and motivated advisers coming through, there is less risk of clients becoming orphaned because their adviser has retired or left the industry.”
