The Financial Planning Association will offer a virtual externship program during the summer for students or career changers entering the financial services field, the FPA announced today.

The program was held virtually last summer for the first time because of the pandemic and was judged a success by those attending, FPA said in a statement. The educational program is designed to open the doors of the financial planning profession and build a pipeline of new talent. The externships were created by the FPA, eMoney Advisor and Kaplan, a global educational organization.

The eight-week program will be held from June 7 through July 30. Registration is open through the FPA until June 1. It drew 1,200 participants last summer. “The immersive, virtual experience planned for this summer will build on the program’s most successful qualities and include new elements, including recorded client meetings that explore real-life financial planning issues,” the FPA said.

“The pandemic sabotaged a lot of internship plans students had last summer,” said FPA President Skip Schweiss in a statement. The externship “provides the next generation access to a program that not only filled a gap but proved to be visionary. Students, career changers and even some practicing planners participated in the program that showed them what this transformative profession is all about.”

Those attending who are currently working toward, or planning to work toward, CFP certification will receive 180 hours toward the Standard Pathway for the CFP Board’s experience requirement, plus eMoney certification and access to the Morningstar Advisor Workstation.

The program will include sessions on such areas as cash flow planning, estate planning, navigating a career and real-world applications for planning software. By the end of the program, participants should be able to articulate various philosophies in financial planning and identify their own philosophy that positions them to best serve their clients, the FPA said. The externship is $199 for FPA members and $249 for nonmembers.