PFS launches next phase of Pathway to the Profession talent investment

The professional body held a one-year anniversary event at the Chartered Insurance Institute London office on Tuesday evening, where PFS Board members, partners, media, programme participants, and financial planning professionals celebrated the success of year one, and looked ahead to the next phase.

Launched last July, Pathway to the Profession was created to attract and nurture new talent at every career stage, and open doors for those who may not have seen financial planning as an accessible career option. The second phase of investment will support four initiatives: a PFS summer school that builds on the success of the Progeny programme; social media activity, including investment in the Pennies to Pounds financial literacy platform; national UCAS Discovery Events; and a dedicated Talent Hub at the PFS Festival of Financial Planning.

Carla Brown; Kate Gannon; and Eddie Grant led the announcements and Q&A, alongside Laura Bailey, Head of Career and Talent; Nick Onslow, Chartered Financial Planner at Progeny; and Kia Commodore, founder of the Pennies to Pounds financial literacy platform. Pathway to the Profession participants also shared their experiences of how the funding and opportunity had supported their financial planning careers and education.

The summer school will be rolled out in multiple locations next year, giving young people practical exposure to financial planning, while the collaboration with Pennies to Pounds will support visibility of the profession online. The investment in UCAS careers events will position financial planning alongside other professional routes, and the Talent Hub Zone will provide a dedicated careers and connections space at one of the UK’s largest financial planning events.

Speaking at the event, Carla Brown, President of the PFS, said: “One year ago, as the Personal Finance Society marked its 20th anniversary, we made a very clear commitment. We said we would open doors. We said we would remove barriers. We said we would invest in tomorrow’s talent. And we backed that with the largest investment we have ever made into the future of financial planning: a £1 million commitment to attract, support and develop the next generation.

That was not simply a funding announcement. It was a statement of intent. It said that if we believe financial planning is a profession with a vital role to play across society, then we also have a responsibility to make sure that profession is visible across society, and that it is accessible and welcoming to talented people from every background.

That was the ambition behind our Pathway to the Profession. And one year on, I think we can say with real confidence that this programme is delivering.”

Laura Bailey, Head of Career and Talent, said: “The first year of Pathway to the Profession has shown what’s possible when financial planning is more visible, accessible and connected with the people we’re trying to reach. You can’t aspire to a career you don’t know exists - therefore we will continue to work with employers, education partners and the wider profession to create more opportunities for people to discover a rewarding career in financial planning and build the talent pipeline the profession needs for the future.”

The Pathway to the Profession investment is intended to support the sustainability, diversity and visibility of financial planning, helping more people access trusted advice in future.