Apprenticeship
Activate a skilled, qualified administrator – backed by apprenticeship levy funding.
Support roles are the backbone of any financial services firm. The Level 3 apprenticeship gives you a structured route to bring in motivated people and develop them into trained, compliant administrators – using funding available from the apprenticeship levy. Walbrook handles the complexity. You focus on your business.
What your apprentice delivers for your business
In 12 months, you gain a qualified team member who understands financial markets, systems, and regulation – shaped by structured learning, peer support, and workplace mentoring, with delivered sessions run in cohorts, and capable of delivering client-centric, Consumer Duty-aligned service.
Learning is deliberately sequenced to mirror your business needs. Competence builds progressively throughout the programme, so the value to your firm grows at every stage – not just at the end.
Duration | 12 months |
Qualification | Level 3 Financial Services Administrator (nationally recognised) |
Typical salary | £14,000–£20,000 a year |
Study model | Average one day per week – online sessions, 1:1 personal tutor, self-guided study, and workplace mentoring |
Assessment | Work-based project, portfolio of evidence, panel interview |
Progression | Direct route into Level 4 Financial Planner – Adviser or Paraplanner Apprenticeship Pathway (DipFA®) |
Why Walbrook
| Over 147 years of expertise | We build it and deliver it | Level 3 to Masters | Always in the picture |
|---|---|---|---|
Trusted by financial services firms across the UK for over 147 years, with a proven track record in professional financial education. | The only awarding organisation that also delivers its own apprenticeships. Qualifications and programmes are designed and delivered within one integrated quality and governance framework. | The only provider offering a seamless employer pathway from Level 3 administrator to chartered professional and Masters degree. | Full visibility of your apprentice's progress through regular reporting, scheduled reviews, and real-time access via our learning platform. |
Who can enrol
This pathway is flexible – giving you real options in how you build your team:
-
School leavers entering financial services for the first time
-
Career changers moving into the sector
-
Existing team members you want to formally upskill and qualify
Walbrook carries out eligibility checks and aligns the curriculum to your business before any enrolment begins.
Apprenticeship levy funding
Apprenticeship levy funding is available to employers of all sizes – whether you pay into the levy or not. Here's what that means for your business:| Employer type | What you pay |
|---|---|
Levy payers (>£3M payroll) | Use funding from your apprenticeship levy account – 0.5% of pay bill, already contributed monthly. Funds expire after 12 months if unused. Walbrook navigates this for you. |
Smaller employers (<£3M payroll) | Access 95% government co-investment – you contribute just 5% in monthly instalments. |
Apprentices aged 16–25 (SMEs) | 100% of training costs covered – free for the employer. |
NI savings | No Class 1 NI contributions for apprentices 25 and under earning below £50,270 – saving approximately £3,000 per year on a £25K salary. |
Government grant | £1,000 for every apprentice aged 16–18 at programme start. |
How it works in practice
Your apprentice studies one day a week alongside their role – combining online sessions, 1:1 tutor support, self-guided study, and workplace mentoring. Delivered sessions are run in cohorts, building both knowledge and professional confidence alongside peers at the same stage.
Your commitment as an employer is straightforward:
-
Assign a workplace mentor – starting with shadowing and progressing to signing off competence as skills develop
-
Attend progress reviews every 10 weeks with your apprentice and their Walbrook coach
-
Employ the apprentice for at least the full duration of the apprenticeship
What Walbrook handles
You manage your apprentice as you would any member of your team. Everything else is Walbrook's responsibility:
-
Recruitment support – access to motivated candidates through the government's Find an Apprenticeship service
-
Programme delivery – structured, cohort-based learning managed end-to-end by Walbrook
-
Apprenticeship Service Account (ASA) support – full guidance to set up your account and access your apprenticeship levy funding
-
Progress tracking – regular reporting, structured progress reviews, and real-time learner visibility through our learning platform
-
Pastoral care – dedicated support for your apprentice's wellbeing, learning, and progress
Where this leads
Level 3 is the first step in a clear career architecture. Completers can progress directly into the Level 4 Financial Planner – Adviser or Paraplanner Pathway (DipFA®) – opening doors to roles including trainee financial adviser, paraplanner, compliance officer, and client relationship manager.
Invest at Level 3, and within five to six years – drawing on apprenticeship levy funding throughout – you can develop a home-grown chartered professional. That's a complete talent pipeline, built from within your firm.
Start building your team with Walbrook
Whether you're looking to bring in new talent or develop the people you already have, we'll help you build a programme that works for your business. Book a call with Sally, our Relationship Director, to discuss your talent strategy – she'll guide you through your pathway options and any questions you might have.
Questions about our apprenticeship programmes?
Get in touch with our apprenticeship team.
Start building your team with Walbrook
Develop your own qualified advisers – without competing for experienced hires.
The UK financial advice profession faces a significant talent gap. With thousands of advisers approaching retirement and demand for advice continuing to grow, firms that develop their own qualified professionals now will be the ones best placed for the future. The Level 4 apprenticeship gives you a structured route to do exactly that – from within your own business, using funding available from the apprenticeship levy. Walbrook delivers the programme. You shape the professional.
What your trainee adviser delivers for your business
Over 24 months, your apprentice develops the technical knowledge and professional skills to provide supervised financial advice, paraplanning, and compliance support – built through holistic learning that goes well beyond exam knowledge to develop real-world implementation skills, client communication, and effective questioning techniques.
Learning is sequenced to mirror your business needs at every stage. Competence builds progressively, so your business benefits throughout the programme – not just at the end.
Duration | 24 months |
Qualification | Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA®) – the industry standard for financial advisers |
Typical salary | £20,000–£30,000 a year |
Study model | Average one day per week – online sessions, 1:1 personal tutor, self-guided study, and workplace mentoring |
What they stufy | Regulations & Ethics, Clients & Taxation, Investment Theory & Markets, Protection Products & Insurance, Retirement Planning, Advanced Planning |
Assessment | Case study, portfolio of evidence, panel interview |
Progression | Direct route into Level 6 Chartered Professional pathway |
Why Walbrook
| Over 147 years of expertise | We build it and deliver it | Level 3 to Masters | Always in the picture |
|---|---|---|---|
Trusted by financial services firms across the UK for over 147 years, with a proven track record in professional financial education. | The only awarding organisation that also delivers its own apprenticeships. Qualifications and programmes are designed and delivered within one integrated quality and governance framework. | The only provider offering a seamless employer pathway from Level 3 administrator to chartered professional and Masters degree. | Full visibility of your apprentice's progress through regular reporting, scheduled reviews, and real-time access via our learning platform. |
Who can enrol
This pathway is open to a wide range of candidates – whether you're bringing in new talent or developing the team you already have:
-
Level 3 completers progressing within your firm
-
School leavers with A levels or equivalent
-
Graduates looking to enter financial services and gain a recognised professional qualification
-
Early-career professionals and existing office staff in financial services
-
Career changers ready to move into an advisory or paraplanning role
-
Existing employees you want to formally upskill and qualify
All candidates complete an initial assessment to ensure they're working at the required level. Walbrook carries out eligibility checks and aligns the curriculum to your business before enrolment begins.
Apprenticeship levy funding
Apprenticeship levy funding is available to employers of all sizes – whether you pay into the levy or not. Here's what that means for your business:| Employer type | What you pay |
|---|---|
Levy payers (>£3M payroll) | Use funding from your apprenticeship levy account – 0.5% of pay bill, already contributed monthly. Funds expire after 12 months if unused. Walbrook navigates this for you. |
Smaller employers (<£3M payroll) | Access 95% government co-investment – you contribute just 5% in monthly instalments. |
Apprentices aged 16–25 (SMEs) | 100% of training costs covered – free for the employer. |
NI savings | No Class 1 NI contributions for apprentices 25 and under earning below £50,270 – saving approximately £3,000 per year on a £25K salary. |
Government grant | £1,000 for every apprentice aged 16–18 at programme start. |
How it works in practice
Your apprentice studies one day a week alongside their role – combining online sessions, 1:1 tutor support, self-guided study, and workplace mentoring. Delivered sessions are run in cohorts, building both knowledge and professional confidence alongside peers at the same stage.
Your commitment as an employer is straightforward:
-
Assign a workplace mentor – starting with shadowing and progressing to signing off competence as skills develop
-
Attend progress reviews every 10 weeks with your apprentice and their Walbrook coach
-
Employ the apprentice for at least the full duration of the apprenticeship
What Walbrook handles
You manage your apprentice as you would any member of your team. Everything else is Walbrook's responsibility:
-
Recruitment support – access to motivated candidates through the government's Find an Apprenticeship service
-
Programme delivery – structured, cohort-based learning managed end-to-end by Walbrook
-
Apprenticeship Service Account (ASA) support – full guidance to set up your account and access your apprenticeship levy funding
-
Progress tracking – regular reporting, structured progress reviews, and real-time learner visibility through our learning platform
-
Pastoral care – dedicated support for your apprentice's wellbeing, learning, and progress
Where this leads
The Level 4 Financial Planner – Adviser or Paraplanner Pathway opens up multiple high-value roles within your business:
-
Trainee financial adviser – providing supervised advice and beginning to support clients directly
-
Trainee paraplanner – delivering research, technical analysis, and compliant recommendations
-
Compliance or risk officer – supporting regulatory standards and governance
-
Client relationship manager – building and maintaining trusted client relationships
Employees who complete the Level 4 pathway have a direct route into the Level 6 Chartered Professional pathway. Invest at Level 4 and you're one step away from developing a fully home-grown chartered professional, using apprenticeship levy funding.
Start developing your advisers with Walbrook
Whether you're growing your advice capacity or future-proofing your talent pipeline, we'll build a programme around your business. Book a call with Sally, our Relationship Director, to discuss your talent strategy – she'll guide you through your pathway options and any questions you might have.