Support services firm Simplybiz has launched an academy for Financial Planners, mortgage advisers, Paraplanners and administrators.
The academy will provide in-house consultation on suitable pathways as well as working with apprenticeship providers including LIBF and SkillsEdge. It will offer access to a range of qualification routes including LIBF and CII exams.
It also includes governance and post-qualification support, with regular check-ins for employers, oversight of apprentice progress, access to a dedicated CPD and compliance learning platform, and ongoing training and competence support.
Simplybiz said it has launched the academy as a talent, training and development solutions to help advice firms secure sustainable growth by attracting, developing and retaining new talent.
Tom Hegarty, CEO of Simplybiz, said the support services firm wants to help secure the long-term sustainability of the advice profession.
He said: “For nearly 15 years, I’ve worked to open up clearer, more accessible pathways into financial advice, and this academy proposition is the culmination of that ambition. This initiative represents a unique opportunity for directly authorised firms to benefit from the kind of structured support, governance, and talent development that has historically only been available within networks.”
Mr Hegarty joined Simplybiz in April 2025 from M&G Wealth Advice where he was managing director and where he created The Advice Partnership and established the M&G Wealth Advice Academy in 2021.
Mr Hegarty has previously held roles within Simplybiz parent firm Fintel. Former roles include managing director of the New Model Business Academy, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Fintel, where he developed one the of the first apprenticeship programmes in financial advice.