The Quilter Financial Adviser School (QFAS) is pleased to announce that 400 students have now graduated from the school and joined the financial planning profession.
This figure includes 371 of students who have graduated with the full Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), 42 who have graduated with the Certificate in Mortgage Advice & Practice (CeMAP) enabling them to advise on mortgages and protection, and 165 with both qualifications. The average age of the school’s students is 31 with 32% of learners being female.
The Quilter Financial Adviser School is open to everyone, and the Level 4 programmes do not require any prior financial services experience or qualifications. The QFAS graduates represent a wide variety of people, from those just beginning in their careers, to those making a total career change later on in life. Previous students have included ex-professional sports people and ex-military.
Additionally, QFAS offers the Level 6 Advanced Diploma in Financial Advice (Adv DipFA) to those already qualified as financial advisers with the Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA). This course supports advisers to further develop their skills and helps them on their way to Chartered Financial Planner status. Since the launch in 2018, 140 students have undertaken studies, with 49 completing the full programme and achieving Chartered status.
Julian Hince, head of the Quilter Financial Adviser School, comments:
“Gaining a certificate in mortgage or financial advice can be the first step on the road to a lifelong vocation or an opportunity for someone to start afresh in a new profession. We are proud to have reached the milestone of 400 graduates and we wish them the very best as they develop in their careers.
“Over the last five years we have steadily built our Financial Adviser School’s range of programmes. Following the smooth adjustment to online learning throughout the pandemic, in January 2021 we moved our Level 4 programmes fully online to improve access and flexibility for students studying to become a financial planner. Not only does this transition allow students to study at a time and place that suits them, but it also enables them to become qualified in a much shorter timeframe.
“In recent years, particularly following the pandemic, we have seen a surge of new clients wanting financial advice and it is therefore vital that we help build the next generation of financial advisers. It is fantastic that the Quilter Financial Adviser School can be at the forefront of helping to bring new people into the sector.”
Rob Thompson, Head of Banking Services at LIBF, adds:
“We’re delighted to celebrate this milestone of 400 graduates completing the Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) through our Trusted Partner, the Quilter Financial Adviser School (QFAS). Since we launched the programme with QFAS in 2016, they have continually delivered excellent training programmes to support their students through LIBF qualifications ranging across mortgage and financial advice. This is reflected in their excellent pass rates and positive student feedback over the past 5-years, which have set a high benchmark for the industry to follow.
“QFAS have also been instrumental in attracting new talent into the industry and helping diversify the next generation of financial advisers. Equally, not only have the graduates passed the regulatory qualification requirements but the QFAS programme has helped them develop the skills and behaviours needed to support their customers in a professional and ethical way.
“Congratulations to the 400 DipFA graduates and the QFAS team that have supported them and we wish them all the success in the careers.”
