UBS Wealth Management is signalling its commitment to keep up with industry trends with the revival of its financial advisor training program.

Around 150 industry rookies from the top 15 financial markets will participate in the program, which requires them to spend the first four months at the Swiss bank's US headquarters in Weehawken, New Jersey. After that, they will be deployed to various branches in the US to serve as apprentices to the more senior advisors. The company believes that not only would this team-up allow the newbies to learn from the experienced, but also get to retain the older advisors' clients after they retire.

UBS held its first training program in 2008, which then targeted fresh talent from college campuses and focused on investment strategies. This time, the company is looking at young financial services professionals with actual industry experience, either as institutional brokers, client services associates, bankers, or second-career professionals with considerable experience with sales and relationship building. The present program's focus will be on behavioral investing and relationship management.

"If the market crisis taught us anything, it was that clients want to talk about their fears and feelings, so we've really ramped up the client experience topics," a spokesperson for UBS Wealth Management Americas, said.

The training is being headed by Bob Mulholland, US brokerage head, and Paul Santucci, the division's chief operating officer.