While still transitioning from MLC Life Insurance to Acenda, the business is ramping up its CPD courses to help advisers with their professional development.
Marshall Ross, Partner Education Manager at Acenda, has been organising ad-hoc courses for three years, but says the time is right to formalise the offering.
“We want to give advisers – wherever they are when it comes to continuous training and CPD – access to the support and development they need,” he says.
It’s important for us to keep advisers up-to-date…
“Advisers have to cover such a broad spectrum of topics. From wellness, underwriting, technical elements, and product developments…It really has become apparent that we needed to have something to support advisers.
“They don’t know what they don’t know, particularly in the risk space.”
Ross has studied the data showing a lower proportion of advisers are specialising in risk advice. Nevertheless, it seems around 90% have to step out of their comfort zone to help clients with life, trauma, and TPD cover.
“It’s important for us to keep advisers up-to-date,” says Ross.
MLC Life Insurance has been building its CPD capability during the past few years, and so far thousands of advisers have taken part in hundreds of its online training sessions.
Acenda’s courses include live Q&As, specialist guest presenters from outside the company – such as the FAAA and reinsurers – presentations from experienced staff, and self-guided training that can be taken at any time.
In the planning stage are comprehensive courses by experienced specialist covering:
- Trauma insurance
- Sums insured
- Claims statistics
- Wealth transfer
- Long-term financial planning / retirement
“We are doing our best to support advisers wherever they sit in the financial planning industry, and wherever they sit in their skills capability,” says Ross.
He says the free courses, available via Acenda’s education hub, are a win-win for the firm and advisers.
“It’s in everyone’s interest to have advisers up to speed with regulatory changes and industry updates so they can deliver the best advice possible to their clients,” says Ross.
Marshall Ross will be among the speakers at Riskinfocus 25. Click here for more details.
