Gerrit Lombard recognised potential in an existing team member.
‍Through VAP's Training Academy, he provided a structured pathway to help accelerate their development into a future paraplanner while remaining focused on serving clients.

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The Challenge Wasn't Finding Potential.
It Was Finding Time To Develop It.

Many advice businesses already have someone they want to develop.

The challenge isn't identifying potential.

The challenge is finding the time to nurture it.

Client meetings need attention.

Advice files still need to be reviewed.

Compliance obligations continue.

And advisers still need to run the business.

As a result, staff development often falls behind more immediate priorities.

For Gerrit Lombard, this challenge felt familiar.

He had a team member who was already contributing valuable work. They understood the business, assisted with ROAs, and had become an important part of the team.

The potential was obvious.

The challenge was creating a pathway to help that potential grow.

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Seeing Potential Is Easy. Developing It Is Harder.

As the conversation turned to staff development, Gerrit highlighted a challenge many advice business owners face.

Developing someone from support work into technical advice work is a long-term investment.

Many businesses rely on team members learning through observation.

They review previous advice documents.

They sit in on discussions.

They ask questions.

Over time, they gradually build their understanding.

This approach works.

But it also takes time.

And time is often in short supply.

Technical Capability Requires More Than Experience

Future paraplanners need to understand far more than document preparation.

They need exposure to:

• Strategy recommendations
• Advice structures
• Compliance requirements
• Insurance considerations
• Superannuation strategies
• Retirement planning concepts
• Client outcomes

This knowledge develops through repetition, education, and practical application.

For busy advice businesses, creating enough time for that development can be difficult.

The First Signs of Progress Weren't Complex Advice Strategies

One of the most valuable outcomes Gerrit noticed wasn't related to SOA writing or technical strategy work.

It showed up in everyday tasks.

His team member began providing more complete information.

There were fewer gaps requiring clarification.

Less time was spent adding comments and corrections before work could progress.

Individually, these improvements appeared small.

Collectively, they reduced the level of oversight required.

And that's often how capability develops inside successful advice businesses.

Not through one major breakthrough.

But through a series of consistent improvements that gradually build confidence and ownership.

How Structured Training Supported The Development Process

To help accelerate that growth, Gerrit enrolled his team member in the VAP Training Academy.

Rather than replacing the development already occurring inside the business, the Academy complemented it.

The program provided structure around topics advisers deal with every day, including:

• Superannuation contributions
• Pension strategies
• Insurance considerations
• Retirement planning
• Advice structures
• Compliance obligations

Participants begin with foundational theory before progressing into practical exercises, case studies, and real-world advice concepts.

Building Confidence Before Complexity

As knowledge develops, participants begin to connect concepts more effectively.

They gain a stronger understanding of advice recommendations.

They become more confident contributing to technical discussions and advice preparation processes.

Most advisers learned the same way themselves.

Nobody starts with complex strategies on day one.

Technical capability is built progressively.

Structured training simply helps create a clearer pathway.

Why Structured Training Matters For Advice Businesses

Many advice businesses already have capable team members who want to grow.

Many advisers genuinely want to invest in their people.

The challenge is balancing staff development with client commitments.

Without structure, training often depends on spare moments between meetings and advice work.

With structure, development continues even while advisers focus on clients and business priorities.

Training And Coaching Work Best Together

Structured training does not replace internal mentoring.

It strengthens it.

Rather than spending time teaching every technical concept from scratch, advisers can focus on helping team members apply what they learn to real client situations.

This creates a more effective learning environment where:

✔ Technical knowledge continues to grow

✔ Internal coaching becomes more valuable

✔ Team members gain confidence faster

✔ Advisers spend less time teaching fundamentals

✔ Capability develops across the business

Investing In The Team You Already Have

Many business owners assume growth requires hiring someone new.

Sometimes the opportunity already exists within the team.

The future paraplanner.

The future technical specialist.

The future senior support team member.

They may already be contributing value every day.

What they need is the opportunity to expand their knowledge, develop new skills, and take on greater responsibility.

That investment benefits more than the individual.

It helps strengthen:

• Client service
• Operational efficiency
• Technical capability
• Team retention
• Long-term business growth

Structured training helps bridge the gap between potential and performance.

And over time, those small gains in knowledge, confidence, and capability can create meaningful outcomes for both the individual and the business.

Because the next paraplanner in your advice business may already be sitting within your team today.

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Key Takeaway

The most successful staff development programs don't start with hiring someone new.

They start by recognising potential in the people already within the business and creating a structured pathway to help them grow.

‍Looking To Develop Future Paraplanners Within Your Team?

Many advice businesses already have capable support team members ready for greater responsibility.

The challenge is creating a structured pathway that supports their development while allowing advisers to stay focused on clients.

VAP's Training Academy helps team members build technical capability through structured learning, practical exercises, and real-world concepts.

‍Explore VAP's Training Academy

Discover how structured training can help develop the future paraplanners and technical specialists already within your business.

‍Learn More About The VAP Training Academy

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