Wealth manager St James’s Place (SJP) says 175 newly-qualified financial advisers have graduated its Financial Adviser Academy.

To recognise their achievement, the company held its 2025 Graduation Ceremony last week at London’s Science Museum.

Speakers at the event included SJP CEO Mark Fitzpatrick who stressed the importance of professional and community support.

Mark Newman, academy director, and Richard Halim, executive manager - academy relationship, praised welcomed the attendees and presented certificates.

Previous Academy graduate and now SJP senior partner, Karen Beresford, shared her experiences since completing the programme, while Gee Foottit, recruitment campaigns and partnerships lead for the SJP Academy, hosted a panel discussion with recent Academy graduates.

Graduates from the academy have joined the profession from a wide range of backgrounds including retail, hospitality and other financial services roles.

The SJP Academy was established in 2012 and claims to be the largest financial adviser training and development programme in the UK.

According to SJP, it has been responsible for training about half of the new financial advisers entering the profession in the last five years, many of whom go on to be Chartered Financial Planners.

The Academy includes former members of the military, professional sports people and female career returners. Many have started their own wealth management practice at SJP, the company says.

Academy director Mark Newman said: "We’re thrilled to celebrate our newest group of Academy graduates and the incredible effort they’ve shown in reaching this point. Each of our graduates should feel immensely proud of what they’ve achieved and the exciting careers that lie ahead of them.

“On a broader scale, this graduation marks an important moment for the profession as we continue to work towards closing not only the advice gap but also the growing adviser gap.

"By bringing fresh, diverse talent into the profession, we’re not only expanding the pool of expertise but we’re also helping ensure that more people across the UK have access to trusted financial advice. I’m excited to see the positive impact these graduates will have in the years ahead.”