An individual from Deakin University in Victoria has won the AMP University Challenge in a year that saw the number of female registrations equal males for the first time.

Now in its fifth year, the AMP University Challenge is a national financial planning competition open to all Australian university students who want to find out first-hand what being a financial planner is all about.

This year, more than 360 students from Australia’s leading universities registered for the Challenge, with 108 students progressing in teams or as individuals to develop a scoped advice paper in response to a hypothetical client scenario. The leading submissions, including three teams and two individuals arrived in Sydney today to take part in the final challenge.

AMP Head of Advice Recruitment and Professional Development Amelia Constantinidis commented on the increase in female participation.

“It’s an encouraging sign that more young women are considering a career as a financial adviser. It’s a profession that provides flexibility, intellectually stimulating work, the ability to start your own business and the opportunity to positively impact people’s lives.

“The judges had a tough decision with all finalists producing quality work. It’s exciting to see the strong talent and commitment from Australia’s younger generation looking to a career in financial planning and a positive sign for the future success of the industry,” Ms Constantinidis said.

The winning individual, Patrick Rowe, was awarded the top prize by AMP’s Director of Channel Services, Michael Paff at a reception at AMP on Monday night.

First prize was $4,000 cash along with registration to attend the 2015 FPA Professionals Congress in Brisbane as well as attendance to the 2016 AMP Advice Summit in Adelaide. Deakin University also received a $2,500 grant from AMP to put toward financial planning initiatives.

Students from Deakin University and University of Canberra took out second and third prizes respectively, which included $2,500 and $1,000 cash and student membership of the FPA. University of Canberra and Australian National University students took out fourth and fifth place, respectively.

New South Wales and Victoria continue to be the leading states for participation, accounting for 72 per cent of registrations. The majority of students found out about the AMP University Challenge through their lecturer or tutor, increasing from 49 per cent to 75 per cent this year.

The Challenge is integrated into the curriculum and assessment for the final year subject forming the financial planning major at La Trobe University, Griffith University, and University of Canberra. It is also optional for students studying at Deakin University.

Source: AMP

Join the discussion