Nick Hakes, Head of Campus AFA, said the new partnership is the result of the AFA conducting a review of their education strategy and a thorough tender process.

“We are excited to partner with Kaplan Professional as they share a common education philosophy, delivering a blend of vocational and higher education with practical experience and mentoring,” he said.

Mr Hakes said Kaplan Professional’s understanding of the future direction of the financial advice market and the depth and breadth of their resources will help the AFA in delivering best-of-breed education solutions to the financial advice community.

“Advisers should be continually investing in education in order to increase consumer confidence in the advice profession,” he said. “The alignment with Kaplan Professional builds upon the significant reach and capability the AFA has in delivering education solutions that are built around the needs of the modern financial adviser and most importantly their clients.”

Brian Knight, General Manager of Kaplan Professional said, “Kaplan Professional is confident that this partnership will create a seamless pathway for advisers from diploma level, to bachelor degree, AFA accreditation and on to Masters.

“Kaplan Professional and the AFA share the same vision in education and the same strong strategic and cultural synergies. The technical expertise and market know-how of both our teams represent the key elements of a successful partnership.”

Mr Hakes said over the past two years the AFA’s education offer has grown significantly with an increase in the number of advisers commencing their Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP) designation.

“We have launched Campus AFA, with the intention of creating an interactive education hub that brings together a number of education solutions to support advisers through their professional journey,” said Mr Hakes. “We have expanded our professional designations to include the Chartered Life Practitioner (ChLP) and Associate Chartered Financial Practitioner (AChFP).”

Mr Hakes said AFA education is not just about technical proficiency and knowledge. “Advisers also need to know how to apply that knowledge and those skills,” he said. “It is critical to get the balance between formal and practical education right.”

Mr Hakes said that the AFA will continue to grow and enhance its education solutions to equip advisers with the tools they need to better serve the community in a constantly changing financial services environment.

“By increasing education standards, we are ultimately looking to encourage more consumers to seek financial advice,” he said.

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