Meeting ethics CPD hours remains top of mind for advisers

Digital modules around ethics and professionalism have been among the most popular offerings for advisers in 2022, data from Kaplan Professional has revealed. 

Of the almost 325,000 completions of digital modules in Kaplan’s ‘Ontrack’ education offering, the three most-popular digital modules were establishing trust in financial services, ethical perceptions in financial services, and ethics at work.

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Other emerging focus areas were exchange traded funds (ETFs), managed investments, and aged care, particularly elderly abuse.

According to Kaplan, enrolments were up 15% over the previous year. 

“The feedback we are getting is there is a real demand for high-quality, original and unbiased technical continuing education content, which encompasses the whole range of areas and issues advisers may face in their professional practice,” said Brian Knight, chief executive, Kaplan Professional. 

“It is also fundamentally important to advisers and their licensees that the continuing education they are completing is accredited and rigorously assessed within an educational framework.

“Our continued focus remains to produce continuing education content that interests advisers, improves their knowledge, and increases their ability to specialise – we will continue to release these learning pieces twice a month.”

Some 300 new content pieces would be added to the platform, he added, including videos and podcasts. 

Advisers had previously highlighted the difficulty in achieving the required nine hours of ethics and professional CPD, with organisations agreeing that it was “quite a challenge” to provide the content. 

In several Quality of Advice Review submissions, advisers had also questioned why the requirements of 40 hours of CPD annually, including nine hours of ethics CPD, was so high compared to other professions. 

“Ethics and professionalism is a knowledge area that needs to be revisited and reinforced on an ongoing basis,” Knight previously stated. 

“The feedback we get from advisers is that they want content that will continue to challenge and push their thinking because it helps them to constantly reflect on their organisational culture.”