The initiative has been created by the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), part of Walbrook Institute London and Future Financial Adviser (FFA), and is open to firms of all sizes. The programme will give firms a 95% funded, fully managed solution to attract and retain talent.
The organisations said that with the average age of an adviser now 58, the profession faced a “demographic and succession challenge”.
The partnership aims to make entry into the profession easier, more structured and more accessible to young people and employers.
It will allow firms to recruit young talent directly into the sector and give trainees the opportunity to achieve a recognised level 3, 4 or 6 qualification and a clear route to progress in their careers. They can also be used to upskill existing staff into paraplanning or advisory roles.
The apprenticeship programme gives firms a route to attain funding and access employee toolkits to support apprentices. Walbrook and FFA said the benefit to employers would be leveraging government funding for apprenticeships, meaning as much as 100% of the cost could be covered.
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The programme has launched with a nationwide campaign to target students, parents and employers through school and university outreach, as well as digital engagement on TikTok, online forums and webinars.
The first webinars for firms will take place on 2 December 2025 at 8:30am and 12:30pm on the topic of ‘Making apprenticeships work for your firm’. Each webinar is 30 minutes long, and employers can now sign up at: https://www.walbrook.ac.uk/libf/events/
John Somerville, director of financial services at LIBF, part of Walbrook Institute London, said: “This collaboration brings together education, industry, and innovation. The pathways provide a clear academic and professional structure, but crucially, they also make it easy for firms to participate.
“All the training, assessment, and funding administration are handled for them, and it’s been done with the input of some of the biggest names in the business. This means the package of support is ready ‘out of the box’ for firms to start the process as soon as possible. It’s a practical, scalable solution to the profession’s most pressing challenge.”
Piers Johnson, managing director at Emap (Future Financial Adviser), added: “Many advice firms are asking the same question: where will the next generation of advisers come from? The answer is: they can come from you. We’ve made it simple. We can help firms create an entry level role within minutes and promote that to our members who come to us via our outreach activity among young career seekers.
“Employers can access the Employer Toolkit, and have everything from levy funding to training delivery managed on their behalf. It’s not just about filling vacancies – it’s about securing the future of advice.”
