AMP Financial Planning has selected 32 potential planners from an original shortlist of 400 applicants for its recently launched academy.
The financial services group has developed a series of programs designed to increase the number of planners in its network.
At the centre of the project is AMP’s new training institute, the AMP Financial Planning Academy, which opened its doors to students yesterday.
“We’ve got a strong belief and strong view that financial planning is really important for the future of Australia,” AMP director of financial planning Steve Helmich said.
“We think by bringing people into financial planning and giving them the proper training support and development to become great financial planners is contributing something to the community.”
Helmich said the academy had been in development for 12 to 18 months and differed from others in that it was a full-end-to-end institution.
Initial interest in the academy yielded 400 candidates. This number was then whittled down to a final 32. All 32 receive a salary while at the academy, he said.
“Unlike others who are shovelling around planners from one dealer group to another we’re looking to bring brand new people in,” Helmich said.
“This is the first intake. We’ll do three intakes a year of the same number, about 30 or so people.”
The 32 recruits will undertake the 13-week Horizons program to fast track their accreditation through classroom workshops delivered by industry specialists, presentations, online training, practical sessions with business coaches and independent study.
Helmich said students will also return to the academy quarterly for 12 months to attend residential courses to deepen their skills and knowledge base.
AMP’s Planner Pathway program is an 18-month program where recruits receive more than 600 hours of training and development.
Included in the curriculum is a nine-month placement within AMP’s para-planning team, where students learn how to develop financial plans.
Helmich said AMP has already begun recruiting for new planners for the next Horizons program, which starts in February 2008.
