The Externship Online Summer Training Program For Financial Planning Careers Advances Diversity, Enhances Program In Its Fourth Year
Hannah Moore, creator of The Externship online training program focused on careers in financial planning, and Founder and Owner of Amplified Planning, announced that registration for The Externship for 2023 is now open.
Moore created the program in 2020 as a response to COVID. It offers an eight-week virtual curriculum to help college students, career changers and new advisors succeed in financial planning, and will be held this year from June 5 to July 28. Upon completing the program, externs will earn 180 experience hours from the CFP Board.
“We realized we’d stumbled into something amazing,” said Moore. “Since day one, we’ve had college students considering changing majors or adding a new skill set and also career changers, people reentering the workforce, entrepreneurs and even current financial planners looking for professional development opportunities.”
Increasing Diversity In Financial Planning
According to the press release, registrant data indicates strong interest in a career in financial planning among underrepresented groups. In 2022, 700 students registered, with a demographic profile including 42% women, 11% Black or African American, 10.5% Asian and 9.7% Hispanic.
Sherri Trombley, Director, Business Consulting & Education at Schwab Advisor Services said, “The Externship program expands on Schwab’s work to increase gender, diversity and generational diversity in the RIA profession. We are always looking for ways to reach students and career changers and help connect them with firms whose vision aligns with their goals.”
“I hope this data shows firms and hiring managers in our profession all the potential that exists,” said advisor to The Externship and Founder and CEO of Suzanne Siracuse Consulting, Suzanne Siracuse. “Based on the interest I’m seeing from The Externship in 2023, I believe the future of our industry is bright.”
Program And Curriculum For 2023
The Externship will be taught by over 50 financial professionals and experts in tax and estate planning, retirement planning and investment management. It includes real-life case studies following actual clients and planners, assignments that allow externs to step into the role of planner and receive feedback, and access to technology tools.
The Externship will introduce several enhancements this year including content explaining various roles available in an advisory firm, a place for partnering companies to post job opportunities and a toolkit to help firms utilize its curriculum to amplify their own summer internship programs.
Moore said, “We hear from firms large and small that companies want to give their summer interns meaningful experiences, but that they don’t have the personnel or curriculum to make it a reality. This new program is designed to do just that.”
Strategic Partnerships
The Externship has partners from across the industry, including lead partner Charles Schwab and its RIAConnect program, eMoney Advisor, the CFP Board, Kaplan, XY Planning Network, Income Lab, Asset Map, LPL Financial, Morningstar, Redtail and the Financial Planning Association. The partners make scholarships available, as well as free access to software and tools.
Julius Buchanan, Managing Editor at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at jbuchanan@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
