A Paraplanning business has recruited its second 17 year-old apprentice in the space of five months.

Swindon-based Svensoni, which employs 32 Paraplanners, said the hiring of Emillie Suter, 17, “further demonstrated its commitment to future financial services talent”.

Ms Suter has recently gained her AAT, a level two qualification in accounting and finance, at college.

She becomes the third apprentice to join the company in the past year, following Emily Docwra, 17, who started in April and Josh Bouette, 21, who was hired a year ago.

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Key figures in the IFP community have recently talked of the pressing need to attract more young people into the Paraplanning profession.

IFP board member Richard Allum CFP^CM, founder of the Paraplanner Powwow, said the sector had a “mountain to climb” in this regard. Joanna Hague CFP^CM, who became the 1,000th CFP professional in the UK last year, earlier this summer called for more firms to “grow their own Paraplanner” by taking on trainees.

Svensoni, which recently bought rival Paraplanning firm Paracor for an undisclosed sum, launched in 2010 and now has over 250 clients throughout the UK ranging from single advisers to large firms and networks.

Chief executive Tony Stevens said the opportunity for the apprentices in the long term is centred on becoming Paraplanners. The apprentice scheme takes them through the first year of training, which is then followed by a further two years intensive training while working in the role of 'support' for the current Paraplanners.

He said: "Our apprenticeship programme has been a fantastic success for us as well as being a unique, challenging and very worthy opportunity for the apprentices. In a time when there are not that many opportunities for the younger generation to develop a career that will allow them many options in life it is very satisfying to watch them develop and grow as individuals, each with varying skill sets and abilities".

He said: “We firmly believe in our people and strive to develop them and their future careers. The quality of our people is what drives the quality of our business, without quality people our business would not have grown to what it is today.”

Ms Suter said: "The opportunity presented to me by Svensoni is something that I am really grateful for, the business and the people in it have broadened my horizons on the aspect of Paraplanning and how it is associated within the financial industry; which was an untouched subject within my course.

“I feel welcomed into the company and look forward to working with them to further my skills.”