The previous academy record was 12 trainees, and the programme has trained over 65 brokers so far this year. It is the last academy of the year
Trainees will learn the ropes of mortgage broking on a five-week course if they do not have a CeMap 1 qualification. For those that do have this qualification, they join for the final three weeks.
Skills that are built on during the programme include: enhancing understanding of the sales process, building rapport with clients and effective questioning to understand clients’ needs. It also teaches brokers about mortgage protection.
Trainees come from varied backgrounds, including recent graduates from hospitality, dentistry and the estate agent sector.
Head of training Rodney Sloan said: “Competition for places on our academy is incredibly tough. Every course we struggle to decide who deserves a place. Although we could conduct courses with larger groups via video conferencing, we don’t want to compromise on the quality of our training.
“By conducting the training in person, everyone on the course gets time to discuss any queries with the team, and the other trainee brokers.”
He added: “It is a source of massive pride that we support new blood coming into the mortgage industry through our academy, and this year we have trained more brokers than ever before. Next year we will build on this, and continue to bring talent into the sector.”
Those who complete the course will be supported by Heidi Smith, who is the newest member of the learning and development team.
