Unividual’s Chartered Financial Planner training programme, Unicademy, received over 200 applications within a day of advertising its 2020 programme.

Unividual has continued with its financial adviser and paraplanner training programme for 2020, taking on recruits for its fifth year despite the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Unicademy training programme combines formal qualifications with the Chartered Insurance Institute, mentoring, mental well-being workshops, personal development and on-the-job training.

There are two Unicademy spaces available in Bath and London but the firm have also decided to recruit for a placement student.

Cherie-Anne Baxter, head of recruitment for Unividual, said: “Covid-19 has made it challenging for all businesses. We couldn’t furlough staff as we needed to ensure we could still be there for clients so they could continue to manage their finances during coronavirus. We have had to pay constant attention to cash-flow but our staff and financial advisers have worked hard over the last few months to bring business levels up to where they need to be. We are also very grateful to our clients who have not just remained loyal to us but have also given our business referrals throughout.

“This has meant Unividual has maintained its business levels compared to previous years. For us to be in a position where we can still recruit is testimony to the culture of our committed and hardworking staff and the structure of how the business is run.”

Unividual officially launched its in-house training school in 2015. The three-year program trains people up to Chartered Financial Planner level whilst they work as a paraplanner. After which they choose between becoming a technical specialist or financial adviser.

For 2019 the program had over 1,000 applications, of which four students were enrolled and employed by Unividual.

There are currently seven people on the training program and Unicademy has produced five successful graduates who are all still with the business, four who are now financial advisers and one who is a manager of a paraplanning team.

Unicademy was co-created by Ms Baxter and Lewis Baxter, director, chartered financial planner and brother to Ms Baxter.

Mr Baxter said: “We are growing the family firm to continue providing clients with financial advice for generations to come. Unicademy was also born to combat the threat of retiring advisers on the horizon and low numbers of women and minority groups joining the industry. We can’t stop progressing towards that journey now. We have to keep the momentum going because we have people on Unicademy graduating next year. Not recruiting could stunt their development or alternatively leave us short in the paraplanning department if they become advisers.”