The Nucleus Foundation has partnered with the Verve Foundation to help women gain their advice qualifications.
The ‘We Are Change’ programme will support an initial cohort of 10 women and is designed to provide training and qualifications support to those looking to start a career in financial advice.
The support from the Nucleus Foundation will provide the entire cohort of women with the funding required to achieve their level 4 CII diploma in regulated financial planning.
Despite positive steps forward in recent years, the financial advice industry continues to see a stark difference in the number of women entering the profession.
According to the most recent data from the FCA only 16 per cent of regulated financial advisers in the UK are women.
This is why the partnership is looking to help attract and train more women to consider a career in financial advice.
Richard Rowney, chief executive of Nucleus and a trustee of the Nucleus Foundation, said: “We’re proud that the foundation’s first major investment is centred on encouraging more women to become advisers. We greatly respect the work of the Verve Foundation and are pleased to be able to partner with them to play our part in tackling the diversity gap in the advice sector.
“This is one of the first grants the Nucleus Foundation has made and it clearly demonstrates the positive contribution and impact we want to make. I can’t think of a better way of using our resources to bring about this much needed change, and help train the next generation of financial advisers.”
The Nucleus Foundation was launched at the start of the year with £750,000 of initial funding.
One of its key areas of focus is to encourage more women into financial advice careers and to work with organisations who are committed to increasing diversity within the sector.
Hayley Rabbets, head of the Verve Foundation, said: “Anything the sector can do to break down barriers and make the industry a more diverse, inclusive and welcoming place to be is to be celebrated. So, to have the support of the Nucleus Foundation, whose aims and values so closely align with our own, is really exciting.”
amy.austin@ft.com
