Zurich Financial Services Australia has linked up with talent mentoring group Grad Mentor to raise awareness of financial planning careers among university graduates.

They will hold a series of “speed-networking” events in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth this month, to let business leaders and industry representatives meet graduates.

Zurich Head of Distribution, Retail Life & Investments Kristine Brooks says the insurer is committed to the advice profession.

“We’ve demonstrated this commitment for the past 13 years through our sponsorship of the Association of Financial Advisers awards,” she said.

“More recently we have partnered with Grad Mentor to help support new entrants and emerging talent within the financial advice industry.”

Grad Mentor founder Alisdair Barr says the speed-networking events give graduates a chance to develop their professional networks and form valuable partnerships with businesses.

“We know the reality of job-hunting and meeting with potential employers can be daunting, especially for young students,” he said. “So the events have been designed to be fun and engaging, to allow both business leaders and graduates to get to know each other before deciding whether to move to a formal interview process.”

Similar events in Sydney and Perth last year brought 50 graduates into the profession. This year’s events are expected to attract about 135 participants.