Anna Schubert

• National Certificate in Financial Services (Financial Advice) (Level 5)

In 2010 Sovereign chose to partner with the Open Polytechnic, New Zealand’s specialist distance learning provider, to put large cohorts of financial advisers through the National Certificate in Financial Services (Financial Advice).

Anna’s team at Sovereign are the business owners for a project in which around 550 financial advisers in Sovereign’s Aligned Channel, are supported as they work through their individual educational requirements to gain a professional status within the Financial Markets Authority.

“We have two groups of students with Open Polytechnic, those that directly provide financial advice and personal assistants who are identified to provide financial advice as part of their support model to the advisers business” she says.

Anna, who has 15 years experience in the industry, holds a commerce degree and is a self-confessed lifelong learner, has taken a leadership approach to rolling out the project at Sovereign. Having previously enrolled in each of the courses herself, Anna gained a detailed knowledge of the learning journey the advisers were about to embark on. 

“Some of our older advisers had not studied for 30 years, and some of them were worried about studying.” Anna and the team of business development managers at Sovereign organise and run study group sessions for their advisers so that they can support each other during their studies.

Anna says it has been tough fitting study in around a busy work schedule, and there has been a lot of after hours and weekend study, but the extra knowledge she has gained has given her a better understanding of the industry.

She found studying by distance learning gave her the flexibility to fit study in at times that suited her, backed by Open Polytechnic tutor support if needed. “The support from the tutors is second to none.  I also liked the real time assessments the Open Polytechnic created, the instantaneous feedback is really good.”

Aside from their ability to prioritise course development and roll it out according to industry need, Sovereign chose to partner with Open Polytechnic because their learning model best suited the needs of Sovereign’s advisers. ”Our advisers and staff can self-pace their studies and also have the training support from both us and the Open Polytechnic tutors”, says Anna. Due to Open Polytechnic’s 65-year history and strong financial position, Sovereign was assured they had a long term provider who could meet their upskilling needs.

The partnership with Open Polytechnic also led to the additional development of contextualised learning materials for Sovereign for Standard Set C.  The learning materials feature Sovereign processes and can be used by their financial advisers as a process manual after they have completed their studies.

“Having these bespoke learning materials has made it easier for us to support our financial advisers in their business”, says Anna who worked with the instructional designers and the Open Polytechnic’s business development team during the development process. 

Currently studying Standard Set D, Anna says she empathises with advisers who are finding it tough.  “It’s 100 hours of study and you have to be committed.  I had one adviser who told me it really tested his mettle, but he has got through and passed, and he says he feels like a new man.  He says he has got to a new place in his financial advice.”

 “It really overawes you how financial advisers are working full-time and studying.  We have to recognise how this industry has done really well to get through.”