The government’s latest announcement of £2,000 support for eligible smaller businesses taking on young apprentices is welcome news. Helping employers invest in the next generation is a positive step and one that our industry should be ready to embrace.

The payment is available to eligible non-levy-paying employers taking on apprentices aged 16 to 24 and will be passed on through apprenticeship training providers in two instalments, subject to the eligibility requirements.

Smaller businesses have to think carefully about recruitment costs. Help with the expense of bringing somebody into the workplace could make a difference to a hiring decision, turning a conversation about recruitment into an actual opportunity.

The announcement comes at a particularly pleasing time for us at UK Moneyman. We have continued recruiting and developing our own future Advisors. Two of our young colleagues, aged 21 and 18, have just passed the first part of Financial Services, Regulation and Ethics (FSRE) on their journey towards becoming qualified.

There is plenty of studying and learning still ahead, but it is an achievement worth celebrating. For them, it is evidence that they are progressing towards a professional career. For us, it is another reminder of why we continue to make that investment.

Earlier this year, I wrote about my old boss and mentor Nev and the difference somebody can make by giving a young person an opportunity. More recently, I questioned how our industry expects to find the next generation of experienced Mortgage Advisors if nobody is prepared to give them their first job.

It is a subject I feel strongly about, but writing about it also brings a responsibility. If you are going to encourage other employers to invest in young people, you should be prepared to do the same yourself.

Recruiting an experienced Advisor can understandably feel like the easier option. They know the terminology, understand the process and should be able to contribute more quickly.

Taking on somebody at the beginning of their career requires a different approach. There will be questions, explanations and time spent helping them understand things that experienced colleagues take for granted.

That time has a cost. However, continually searching for people whom somebody else has trained has its limitations too.

Every experienced Advisor started somewhere. Behind their first qualification, first client meeting and first completed mortgage was usually somebody prepared to offer encouragement, answer questions and accept that they would need support.

We cannot all expect to recruit the finished article without helping to produce it.

The new government payment applies to eligible formal apprenticeships, rather than automatically to every young recruit studying towards a qualification. Nevertheless, the direction is encouraging. Government can help reduce the financial barriers, while employers provide the opportunity and the day-to-day support that make it worthwhile.

The real commitment continues long after the recruitment decision. A young person needs somebody who will make time for them when the office is busy as well as when it is quiet.

FSRE provides a grounding in financial services, regulation and ethics. Those foundations matter in a profession where our recommendations can affect customers for many years.

The learning also needs to become part of everyday working life.

How do we explain something clearly to a worried customer? When should we ask for help? How do we follow through on a promise? What does taking responsibility look like when a case becomes difficult?

These are lessons young colleagues learn by watching the people around them.

At UK Moneyman, Responsiveness is one of our core values. We want people entering the business to understand why keeping customers informed matters, alongside learning about products and processes.

Developing our own advisors gives us the opportunity to build those expectations into their careers from the outset.

There is a business reason to do this too. Developing people internally can help a firm build the skills it needs, create opportunities for existing staff and plan for its future.

We should also recognise what a first opportunity means to the person receiving it. A qualification becomes achievable, a career starts to take shape and confidence begins to grow.

Our two colleagues have earned their exam passes through their own efforts. Our role is to keep giving them the support and opportunity to progress.

Perhaps the most useful question for other firms is whether there is room for one young person with potential.

Most of us can remember somebody who gave us a chance.

The opportunity now is to become that person for somebody else.

Malcolm Davidson is managing director of UK Moneyman