The BMPAN recently held an Early Career Pathways and Apprenticeships Roundtable, with the discussion focused on how the financial services sector could reach and attract young people from underrepresented backgrounds who may not typically consider financial services as an accessible or achievable career path.
The roundtable was held on the morning of the organisation’s fifth networking event.
The BMPAN has offered to act as a facilitator to help employers, training providers and community organisations to work together and widen access to the sector.
A focus on lived experience
Hosted by BMPAN co-founders Atlyn Forde (pictured, right) and Aleka Gutzmore (pictured, left), the afternoon opened with testimonies from young people who have finished or are currently progressing through apprenticeships and early career roles.
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Tracy Jordan, chief operating officer and board member at Vantage Point Global, explained the organisation’s role in connecting business and young people, by recruiting, mentoring and training young unemployed talent into financial services roles.
It partners with employers to train and mentor candidates in the first few months of a job to improve retention and professional success.
Paul Allen from Simply Academy, a financial services training provider, gave details on the range of training provision available to businesses, having previously worked with financial services firms including Sesame Bankhall Group and London & Country.
It demonstrated how its training programmes could create clear entry points into the industry.
Clear objectives and tangible outcomes
The open discussion that followed revealed a series of key themes, including:
- The need for structured, visible pathways into mortgage and financial services
- The critical role of line managers in retention and progression
- The importance of widening access beyond traditional networks
- The commercial and sustainability case for investing in early talent
Participants agreed that stronger collaboration between employers, apprenticeship providers and early career specialists was needed to build a resilient and diverse talent pipeline into financial services.
Next steps for BMPAN
The BMPAN said it was committed to continuing this work and was building a practical framework to strengthen industry connections, track engagement and support measurable progress.
Planned actions include:
- Convening follow-up discussions with organisations ready to introduce or expand apprenticeship and internship programmes
- Connecting employers with trusted training and apprenticeship partners
- Encouraging cross-industry collaboration and shared learning
- Identifying measurable actions and monitoring progress
Event attendee Rob Gill, managing director at Altura Mortgage Finance, said: “It’s long been a concern of mine that it’s hard to train new entrants to a working industry without a busy office, full of experienced people for them to interact with and learn from. It was, therefore, a real eye-opener to hear from professionals and young people how training and even apprenticeships can be conducted online.
“Yes, it’s a challenge, but this is how it is now. It’s perfectly possible, so we can get on with it. That is a learning I’ll be taking back, not just to Altura, but also to our appointed representative partners.”
Kate Davies, executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), said the roundtable provided a “great opportunity” for young talent to showcase their ability, enthusiasm and passion.
She added: “Their energy was infectious, and I’m sure that everyone listening came away feeling uplifted by the accounts of great work being done to nurture and develop their progress.
“So much depends on the personal commitment and generosity displayed by those who mentor and encourage the young apprentices, so a big shout must go out to them as well as to the youngsters themselves, all of whom deserve to thrive and succeed.”
Nicola Goldie, head of strategic partnerships and growth at Aldermore and deputy chair at the IMLA, said: “The energy and openness in the room this afternoon made it clear that early career support must now move from good intentions to coordinated action. What came through strongly was the shared desire for a more joined-up industry approach – clearer pathways, better visibility for young people, and tangible frameworks that support progression.
“As a sector, we have an opportunity to shape something meaningful here. I’m committed to taking these learnings back into Working in Mortgages, IMLA and our wider networks so we can build practical solutions that strengthen our talent pipelines and widen access across financial services.”
Forde said: “One of the strongest messages from the roundtable was that there is incredible potential among young people who simply need clearer pathways and access into the industry. Many talented young people from underrepresented backgrounds do not grow up seeing financial services as a career option, not because they lack ambition or ability, but because they lack visibility of the opportunities available.
“Through BMPAN, we are committed to changing that. By bringing employers, training providers and young people into the same conversation, we can help build practical pathways that enable the next generation of talent to enter, progress and thrive in financial services.”
Gutzmore said the response to the Early Career Pathways Roundtable was “incredibly encouraging” and said she was proud the BMPAN was leading the conversation, “bringing together employers, training providers and young people to move from intent to action and strengthen access to financial services for the next generation”.
Young attendees to the BMPAN event from entrepreneurial association, KURA, Youth with ambition, shared their thoughts:
Carean M, a year 13 student, said: “A job in finance definitely has more appeal to me after attending the BMPAN event, learning how it plays a pivotal role in day-to-day life and understanding how life really is working in finance from people who have done apprenticeships and become successful from it and the opportunities that pursuing this career gives.”
Vheneka C, a year 12 student, said: “Speaking with people from different areas highlighted how varied and impactful the industry is, especially within fields like risk and fraud. It helped me see finance as a space where I could keep learning, solve problems, and make a meaningful contribution.”
The BMPAN is inviting employers, training providers and industry bodies to take part in the next stage of this work.
Organisations interested in exploring apprenticeship or internship pathways, hosting work experience placements or partnering with training providers are encouraged to get in touch with BMPAN co-founders Atyln Forde, Aleka Gutzmore and Jeffrey Krampah-Williams.
Contact the BMPAN team via bmpanonline@gmail.com.
