Truro based financial advice company, Anderson Lloyd, is in the process of expanding its in-house training programme to benefit clients, employees and associates.
The scheme combines traditional theory-based training with practical application and on-the-job experience.
The newest members of staff taking part are Megan White, who joined Anderson Lloyd a year ago as the office administrator and receptionist, and Demi Gilks, who joined the firm in June as PA to Independent Financial Adviser (IFA), Francis Iles.
The training is geared towards the trainees becoming paraplanners and eventually IFAs. The first step is the Diploma for Financial Advisers, which takes around three months to complete. The aim is for them to become qualified paraplanners within 18 months.
Anderson Lloyd partner and compliance officer, David Hughes said: “Through training people can see advancement towards a goal, in our case becoming an IFA, but with this scheme they don’t have to become one straight away, which is less daunting. They can come to us as a receptionist or PA and see a clear career path.
“The financial industry is heavily regulated but passing exams doesn’t necessarily qualify you to do an IFA’s work. There are several other skills you have to master before you can be successful – communication for example.
“We expanded our inhouse training programme after taking on Jared Kiszczuk as an apprentice in March. His arrival and the realisation of what he has achieved by experiencing all aspects of the work that we do and studying at the same time, was the trigger for the expanded programme.”
