Smart Financial Planning launches graduate apprenticeship scheme

Altrincham-based Smart Financial Planning has taken on its first apprentice and is looking to recruit another adviser through its graduate scheme.

The firm has employed Katie Sargeson from Trafford College, who is currently completing a degree in business administration.

Smart director Steve Martin said although Sargeson was the firm’s first apprentice, Smart had been working on bringing young blood in to the firm for about three years.

He said over the next few months he would also be recruiting for the firm’s graduate programme. ‘We don’t expect graduates to know everything but we expect them to have the right attitude,’ he said.

‘They’re going to be a lot younger than the majority of clients, so they have to be very professional.’

He said his goal was for each graduate to achieve chartered status, but first they would spend one year as an administrator, one year as a paraplanner and one year as a trainee financial planner.

New recruits will join Smart’s other trainees Terry Hewes, who is now beginning to advise, and Adam Dowes, who is entering the paraplanning stage of the programme.

Martin said the firm would benefit from having self-trained financial planners, who would have no bad habits and be fee-based from the start of their careers.