Encouraging young people today to join
With recent initiatives such as Financial Reporter’s 30 Under 30 and Working in Mortgage’s mentorship scheme, there has been much discussion about how best to encourage young people who don’t have family in financial services to learn more about the industry and consider it as a viable career option.
Russel suggests that there may be "a perception that some of the issues financial advisers help with are not a concern for younger people, which further puts people off the career," something which he himself used to believe.
"Growing up, it always felt like financial advice was an industry for older professionals, and not very glamorous!" he says.
"But I think things are changing," Russel adds. "I think the advancements in the way we use technology are helping to open up advice to younger people, for example, and if we can improve financial education so people understand the importance of starting early on things like saving into a pension, then it will highlight the role advisers play, and in turn encourage more young blood into the industry."
Meanwhile, Dale stresses the need for the industry "to do more to show young people how varied financial services can be."
"It is not only about being a broker or adviser, there are opportunities in technology, operations, compliance, administration, sales, marketing, management and product development," he says.
Vic adds that "Dale and Neal’s own routes show that people can enter the sector from different directions. Dale came through Legal & General and broking, while Neal’s path was through IT and technology, starting at GMAC."
"To attract more young people, the industry should offer more early exposure, work experience, mentoring and clearer career pathways."
"It also needs to show that financial services is changing, especially through technology, and that younger people can help shape its future rather than just enter an established system," Vic continues.
Amanda recommends "more talk about the profession and the opportunities it provides in schools and more options to define what role they might want," as well as "clearer pathways into the industry so people can see how to get started and progress."
Victoria highlights that "the lack of talk around self-employed jobs is a problem in itself, let alone within the financial services industry.
"We have a real passion project in place where we are looking to go into schools and groups to talk about all of the opportunities there are in financial services," Victoria continues. "It definitely can be more than just a job you fall into; there is so much in the industry for all strengths that people in education wouldn’t even know is an option, but may really suit them for their own personality."
The lack of awareness around the opportunities in financial services is something that Grace also flags, noting that "with financial services, it's a hard one because people think there are only certain jobs: financial advisers, mortgage advisers, solicitors, etc.
"Whereas there's also social media management, marketing, events - there are so many different jobs. Also, I went from being an admin to doing this [social media], so things can change, it's just about working your way back to where you think you can start," Grace explains.
Katherine stresses the need "to show young people the human side of this industry."
"Many assume it's all about spreadsheets and sales targets, but in reality, we build careers on relationships, problem solving and making a real difference to people's lives," Katherine says. "I think more visibility in schools, colleges and universities will help, and I do think that is happening.
"It's not just talking about the technical side, but showcasing the career paths, flexibility, impact, mentoring, and real-life stories from advisers would go a long way."
"We need to show there's a purpose behind the professionalism of being an adviser," Katherine continues. "But then also I do a lot of work with mental health and mortgage advisers, and we need to encourage this because there's a lot of anxiety among young people."
Luke says that the industry needs to "rebrand", moving "from being seen as 'dry and clinical' to being purpose-driven and impactful."
"Many young people today want careers that actually help people, and there are few things more rewarding than helping a family secure their first home or achieve long-term financial stability."
To achieve this rebranding, Luke suggests starting both education and visibility earlier: "Schools should integrate financial literacy into the curriculum to demystify the industry, and we need to show that finance isn't just about spreadsheets; it’s about psychology, problem-solving, and relationship-building.
"If we can show the next generation that this career is about changing lives, not just moving numbers, we’ll see a lot more people choosing it as a first-choice career rather than finding it by chance."
