Leading education provider Kaplan Professional has continued to enjoy a record year in its flagship courses with enrolments peaking during a bumper August.
Citing data at the end of August, there was almost a 30% increase in financial services enrolments compared to this time last year and a 20% increase on the previous month.
The data also suggests higher education is being embraced with over 1,000 students enrolled in the Master of Financial Planning – a 42% increase compared to August 2015.
70% of students enrolled in Kaplan Professional financial services courses already have a bachelor’s degree and 36% are female.
Kaplan Professional CEO Brian Knight said he is delighted with the number of people embracing careers in financial advice and uplifting the education level, and attributes it to a number of factors.
“The figures speak for themselves … advisers are not waiting to be told to upgrade their education … it shows there is a commitment from advisers … they are willing to upskill and take action now to stay ahead of the curve.
“They are taking pride in the growth of their profession and are not deterred by the proposed legislation,” he said.
Knight said Kaplan Professional’s agility to adapt to a dynamic advice landscape has also played a significant role in growth.
“The financial advice landscape is changing very, very quickly and we are constantly revolutionising to ensure our programs are at the forefront of the industry.
“We are continuing to see movement from the Diploma to the Advanced Diploma and then onto the Master of Financial Planning … advisers are benefiting from tailored pathways to postgraduate education and professional designations.
“KUDOS is another example – advisers are already using it to gauge their strengths and weaknesses to plan their CPD and prepare for the national exam that is on the horizon,” he said.
