Adviser Academy Archives

Last year, Tees Financial launched a new adviser academy, with an aspiration to train Financial Advisers who are new to the industry. Last August the team welcomed its very first two participants and now, a year on, we welcome two additional staff members.

The Academy is structured around a two-year apprenticeship programme which combines studying for the CII’s Diploma in Financial Advice, as well as hands on experience as a financial adviser.

New starters Ben Parkhurst and Megan Johns will be studying for their Level 4 Financial Adviser exams at the same time as shadowing the firm’s highly experienced financial advisers. The programme promises to provide Academy members with key objectives to take away from every stage and gives experience across the whole firm.

James Appleby, Managing Director of Tees Financial Ltd, said: “We’re really excited to be welcoming two additional participants to our Academy and are so proud to continue on our promise to harness and invest in the future of up-and-coming talent for financial advice.”

Ben Parkhurst from Chelmsford didn’t have a financial background before joining the Academy but did have friends who were in the industry and who had told him he could be a great fit. He originally planned on pursuing a career in engineering, “I completed an apprenticeship to become a mechanic before I came to Tees. I thought I wanted to go further in engineering, but then I changed direction and went into logistics. It was here that I realised I love client work, problem solving and talking to people.”

Ben came across Tees this summer and decided to apply for the Academy once he saw the volunteering and charity work the company get involved in, because it aligned with his personal ambitions. He plans on studying further to Level 6 once he has completed his Level 4 exams.

Another of our latest recruits Megan Johns who hails from the Bishop’s Stortford area, where the Tees headquarters are based, joined in August this year and has already completed her first exam on the Level 4 course. “At first it felt daunting to study and work at the same time, but I’m actually really enjoying it and have found it easier in a way because I get real experience in the office alongside one study day a week.”

Megan joined Tees originally as an admin adviser and although she liked the job, she became interested in The Academy at Tees Financial Ltd, once she learnt you don’t need any particular A Levels to be accepted and do well in the role. She said “I’m from the local area so I always knew about Tees but didn’t necessarily know too much about the financial side of the business until I joined. It really interests me, and I hope to progress to become a long-term member of the team once I pass all my exams!”

The Level 4 programme consists of six exams split across two years at the end of which, along with the practical work shadowing experienced advisers in the office, provides Academy members with the qualifications, knowledge and experience to take up a role as a financial adviser at the end of the term. There is also an option to continue studying to become a chartered adviser. The opportunity is open to anyone who in the words of Megan, is “hard working, willing to learn and a people person.”

The exams cover off topics such as financial services, regulation and ethics, investment principles and risk, personal taxation and financial planning in practice. The last exam comprises a written essay style format.

Last August, Tees welcomed Percy Sam – an Industrial Design graduate and Guy Pearson, who previously studied Exercise, Nutrition and Health at Nottingham Trent University.

The Academy has been a change in direction for Guy who previously trained as a personal trainer before the global pandemic. He recalls, “I joined a large advisory firm after leaving personal training, but felt I lacked support and the tools I needed to study for my Financial Adviser exams, but at Tees I have been able to get on-the-job experience as well as lots of time to learn from experienced team members.”

Both Percy and Guy are just a year away from becoming fully qualified and are advocates for others joining the Academy. Percy admitted, “The Academy wasn’t even on my radar, and I knew nothing about financial advising before joining Tees!”

“The Academy at Tees Financial Ltd offers an opportunity to become a qualified Financial Adviser in two years,” says James Appleby. “We’re looking for candidates with the right attitude and aptitude, regardless of past experience.”

The Academy at Tees Financial Ltd is committed to the rolling programme and aims to continue to recruit up to two new recruits each year. This forms part of Tees Financial Ltd’s longer-term growth strategy.

If you would like to find out more about our services or speak to a Tees financial adviser directly, call our team on 0808 159 7432, or fill out our enquiry form and we’ll be in touch.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314. Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Tees Financial has launched a new adviser academy, to train aspiring Financial Advisers. ‘The Academy at Tees Financial Limited’ has enrolled its first two participants, who will follow a structured two-year apprenticeship programme that combines studying for the CII’s Diploma in Financial Advice, with hands on experience of the day-to-day role of a financial adviser.

As well as studying for their Level 4 Financial Adviser exams, the Academy participants will learn on the job, shadowing experienced Tees financial advisers. The programme will provide participants with key objectives to take away from every stage and gives a broad experience of the different roles across the whole of the Firm.

James Appleby, Managing Director of Tees Financial Ltd, commented “The Academy at Tees Financial Ltd is a key part of our long term growth strategy, and we’re proud to be investing in young talented individuals who represent the future of financial advice.”

People person

Percy Sam is one of the Academy’s new recruits. He studied Industrial Design at Bournemouth University, graduating with a master’s degree in 2020. Soon after, he started a full-time office role with Tees Financial Ltd in the Bishop’s Stortford office.

A self-proclaimed “people person”, it didn’t take him long to get to know everyone by name. In November 2021, he saw an advert for the Academy and, encouraged by his colleagues, applied.

Before his interview, he talked to as many Financial Advisers as possible in order to understand the role and whether he really wanted to do it. “I want to help people” Percy says. “Managing your finances isn’t something they teach very well at school”.

Supportive environment

Having successfully passed the application process, Percy started his two-year journey in September 2022. The first month has been “exciting”, he says. “There’s not enough hours in the day!”

As well as getting used to the course structure and “financial services jargon”, he has started studying through the online learning course. He’s particularly excited to start shadowing advisers: “You get to learn whilst on the job and you get to see how it all works in practice as well as theory”.

“Tees is such an amazing place to work” he adds. Experienced advisers are “open and interested to talk about what they do”, which creates a “very supportive” learning environment.

Fitness to finance

Guy Pearson, who studied Exercise, Nutrition and Health at Nottingham Trent University, is also the Academy’s new recruit.

After graduating in 2018, he set up as a Personal Trainer, before the pandemic disrupted his business and prompted him to change career paths. “There are actually a lot of similarities between personal training and Financial Advice” Guy notes. “Both are, fundamentally, about assessing someone’s current situation, finding out where they want to be and planning how they’re going to get there.”

In 2021, Guy joined a large advisory firm but felt that the programme lacked the support and resources needed to study for the Financial Adviser exams. That was when he decided to apply to the Academy at Tees Financial Ltd.

Structure and support

Guy was drawn to the structured approach of the Academy, which allows him to combine a carefully planned study schedule with on-the-job work experience. Tees provides all the support and resources needed for them to excel in the Financial Adviser exams, as well as abundant opportunities to learn from experienced advisers.

Having started in August 2022, he has already begun shadowing advisers. “It’s a great way to gain first-hand experience of the work” he says. “For four days a week, I get to shadow financial advisers, then one day a week I’m following the structured online learning.”

He appreciates the certainty of having the whole pathway mapped out in front of him, as well as knowing that, after two years, he will be a fully qualified Financial Adviser, with abundant work experience to boot.

Role models

The common factor between Percy and Guy is that neither of them expected to end up where they are now.

“The Academy at Tees Financial Ltd offers an opportunity to become a qualified Financial Adviser in two years” says James Appleby. “We’re looking for candidates with the right attitude and aptitude, regardless of past experience.”

“It wasn’t even on my radar” Percy admits. “I knew nothing about financial advising before joining Tees!” Having found his calling now, Percy is ambitious: he wants to become a Level 7 Financial Adviser. “I’ve always wanted to keep progressing” he says. “My goal is one day to match the experience and knowledge of the Tees Financial Advisers.”

Community impact

The Academy at Tees Financial Ltd is a rolling programme, which will welcome one or two new recruits each year. Part of Tees Financial Ltd’s longer-term growth strategy.

“We have a highly professional and experienced team of financial advisers at Tees and The Academy is a chance for them to share their wealth of knowledge with people at the start of their careers” says James Appleby.