Fidelity Life has confirmed its 2026 Career connect cohort, placing 30 participants into the programme after receiving close to 60 applications from around the country. The announcement comes as the financial advice sector posts its second consecutive year of growth in both licensed providers and registered advisers.
The FMA’s second annual review of regulatory returns – covering July 2023 to June 2025 – offers a current read on where the sector stands. Licensed financial advice providers rose 10%, from 1,410 to 1,553, while individual financial adviser numbers climbed by almost 9% to 9,197 over the same period. The composition of the market remains weighted toward small operators. Around half of all FAPs carry a single adviser on their licence, while three licensees account for more than 500 advisers each. For the majority of advice businesses sitting at the smaller end of that spectrum, bringing on a trained graduate is one of the few practical ways to add capacity without the overhead of recruiting from a shallow external pool.
The technology side of the market is shifting in parallel. Clients receiving digital advice nearly doubled in a year, rising from around 86,500 in 2024 to more than 164,800 in 2025, as the number of FAPs operating digital advice facilities grew by 21%. For new entrants to the profession, that environment means competing and collaborating with automated tools from day one – making the case for formal training over self-directed entry.
Since launching in 2023, Career connect has put more than 100 people through its pathway, with close to 70 completing the Level 5 Certificate in Financial Services covering life, disability, and health insurance. Three graduates have gone further, progressing into Professional Pathways – the intermediate tier of Fidelity Life’s Adviser Edge development platform. Connecting qualified graduates with employment is handled through the Career connect employer registry, a directory of more than 40 advice businesses across New Zealand that have signed up to hire or mentor programme completers. The registry gives graduates a direct route into the job market rather than requiring them to establish industry contacts from scratch.
The 2026 intake includes 13 scholarships – up from eight the year prior. Fidelity Life is funding five of those directly. The remaining eight are backed by Kaplan Professional, FMG, and two first-time supporters, NZHL Group and SHARE NZ, each sponsoring two scholarships under their own named categories. Demand for financial support among applicants was high: 81% indicated interest in a scholarship. Women accounted for 56% of applicants, and 17 ethnicities were represented across the pool.
Michelle Doyle, head of solutions at Fidelity Life, said the figures pointed to something beyond programme familiarity. “Career connect continues to attract people who are motivated, thoughtful, and committed to building purposeful careers in financial advice. Seeing almost 60 applications and such strong interest in scholarships shows that people recognise the value of structured support, learning, and connection as they enter the industry.”
The 13 recipients for the current intake, drawn from a pool of nearly 60 applicants, are:
The 2026 intake follows the programme’s strongest graduation year to date. The 2025 cohort produced 29 completers – the highest annual total since Career connect began – with women making up 62% of graduates and one in five identifying as Māori or Pasifika. Graduates came from centres including Auckland and Christchurch as well as Hamilton, Dunedin, Mosgiel, Papamoa, and Hastings. Across all cohorts, more than 60% of graduates have moved into roles within the financial services sector. The participant age range – 20 to 65-plus – also signals that the programme is drawing career changers alongside new entrants, broadening the pool beyond the school-leaver demographic that many entry pathways default to.
Bronwyn Kirwan (pictured), chief commercial officer at Fidelity Life, said the growth in partner-funded scholarships reflected a shared recognition across the sector that workforce development requires ongoing collective investment. “Our industry plays a critical role in protecting the financial wellbeing of New Zealanders. Through Career connect, we’re investing in people with the potential to become trusted advisers and future leaders. It’s been incredibly encouraging to see more partners come on board to support these emerging professionals, demonstrating a shared commitment to strengthening diversity, capability, and long-term sustainability across the profession,” Kirwan said. The first online session for the 2026 cohort took place this week.
