BT, Striver seal deal to launch advice career program

BT has linked up with wealth career platform, Striver, to address the advice talent shortage in Australia by launching a new Career Pathways Program.

The mainly-online program is designed for those undergoing career changes, support staff in existing roles looking to upskill and university graduates, offering an inside look into the available job opportunities within the wealth and advice profession including part of an advice practice’s support team, as a client services manager or as a paraplanner.

“We’re looking to invest in the next generation of advisers and to advocate for a strong advice industry,” BT Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Rady, said.

“We’ve worked with Striver to design the Career Pathways Program to support those aspiring to join the advice profession with the right skills and development opportunities.”

Members of BT’s contact centre and operations staff will be the first to experience the program before it welcomes participants from across the industry more widely.

“Our partnership with BT has provided a fantastic opportunity to positively impact and address the growing skills shortage within financial advice across Australia,” Alisdair Barr, chief executive and Founder of Striver, said.

“Together, we have embraced this challenge by enhancing the Striver technology platform to create a more structured approach to supporting the advice industry.”

According to the BT Adviser Sentiment Index’s latest 2024 figures, 75 per cent of advisers said “finding and recruiting staff” were one of their main challenges, along with staff retention.

“We know anecdotally that each year, the financial services industry loses staff with great skills to other industries. This program is about providing those people with a career pathway to take the first step toward a career in financial advice,” Rady said.

“BT has the most adviser relationships in Australia and based on our conversations with advisers, it’s clear that advice practices are calling for more support. There is a growing need for financial advice, and we want to help ensure it can thrive now and into the future.”