SimplyBiz, the adviser services group, has is launching a workplace academy designed to support advisers moving into or already active within the corporate advice market.
The Workplace Academy will open its doors to its first intake in June, with a number of induction days taking place throughout April. Induction seminars will offer a broad introduction to the workplace marketplace with sessions including operating profitably in the corporate market, identifying and approaching SME clients and leveraging professional connections.
The Academy, which is a subsidiary of SimplyBiz Group’s New Model Business Academy (NMBA), will offer face-to-face and online training across a number of modules on key areas of corporate advice.
The programme, which is accredited by the Pension Management Institute (PMI), includes group risk, health and wellbeing products, salary exchange benefits, auto enrolment, credit broking and business protection; in addition to broader ranging subjects such as building, and marketing effectively, a robust workplace proposition and the critical soft skills needed to engage and deliver that proposition.
SimplyBiz Group joint managing director Matt Timmins says: “Advisers are always looking for innovative ways to grow their client bank of retail clients, and we have been focussed on supporting that approach for many years. What has been missing is the necessary training and technology to help advisers succeed in this market. The Workplace Academy will help equip advisers with the knowledge and skills needed to serve SMEs”.
SimplyBiz Group workplace solutions director Tom Nall says: “We know that the corporate market has a huge advice gap; there’s a real need and increasing demand, and yet many advisers are still reticent about entering the workplace market, viewing it as too difficult a market to penetrate.
“The FAMR Final Report and the recent Budget reinforced the role of the workplace as a major way of distributing financial services to the UK population and the role of advisers in ensuring this delivers positive outcomes. Undertaking the Workplace Academy’s programme allows advisers to position themselves as specialists in this area.”