St. James's Place has launched a military support scheme in a bid to help those leaving the armed forces transition into a career in financial services.
The military support scheme currently has more than 100 former military personnel and reservists, cadet instructors and their spouses from throughout the SJP partnership.
The network will be working closely with the SJP Academy, which since its inception in 2012 has trained 28 veterans into the wealth advice profession.
The wealth manager also signed the Armed Forces Covenant, a government initiative which sees firms commit to supporting the armed forces, last month.
Andy Mallows, director of operations for the managing director at SJP, said: “The journey from the forces into the workplace can be quite daunting, so we’ve aimed to create a network that truly understands what these candidates are experiencing, first-hand.
"Whilst we’ve been supporting the forces through our academy programme for a long time, the collaborative approach by the military network will accelerate this even further.
"The response among our colleagues has been positive and we’re looking forward to building on this and seeing what we can achieve."
The career transition from the armed forces to financial services has often proved a popular path, with many viewing the two occupations as sharing similar personality traits and requirements.
Louise Worrall, academy partner at SJP, said: "The academy has been fundamental in my move to a second career. I approached the programme following the deterioration of my health resulting in me leaving my much-desired job as a navigator in the Royal Navy.
"I was a little lost and, having had no previous experience, I didn’t know what to expect.
"Since the first encounter the academy has supported and nurtured me on what has been a tricky journey due to my health and their willingness to adapt my learning and facilitate ways for me to still achieve my goals around hospital visits and time off has been incredible."
rachel.mortimer@ft.com
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