The Investment Association Partners with Streets Consulting to deliver essential Soft Skills for the Emerging and Established Tech-Native Asset Management Workforce

London, UK – 29 August:

The Investment Association, the leading trade body for the UK investment management industry, today announced a strategic partnership with Streets Consulting to deliver its professional skills training programme. These courses are designed to address the growing need for skills, to equip individuals at all career stages to master essential soft skills for personal development and professional growth. 

In an era defined by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, the demand for uniquely human attributes such as critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, adaptability, communication, and collaboration has surged. The latest World Economic Forum “Future of Jobs Report 2025“ highlights a significant skills gap, with 63% of employers identifying it as a major barrier to business transformation, and LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report shows 92% of companies considering human capabilities as important or more important than hard skills. This partnership directly addresses this need, providing accessible and effective training tailored for all career stages.

“As the investment management industry continues to evolve rapidly, particularly with advancements in AI and technology, the demand for human capability  and professional skills has never been greater,” said Gillian Painter, Director of Membership, Enterprises, Marketing & Engine at the Investment Association. 

Painter continues, “We are committed to fostering a resilient and adaptable workforce across the sector and this partnership with Streets Consulting responds to a strong demand from our members.  They have called on us to help them invest in their talent, just one key reason why we see so much demand for our courses.  Specifically, right now there is a clear call for training in critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills, and in this day and age taking days out for residential leadership programmes is a real challenge. We are delighted to offer these training courses, shaped with our members’ needs in mind.”

Commenting on the partnership, Julia Streets, MBE, CEO  and Founder of Streets Consulting of Streets Consulting said: “This is fabulous collaboration.  From our work with the industry we know that investing in these skills makes a huge difference to any employees’ career success and for organisations as they build high performing teams.  As industry  practitioners we have shaped a blend of training and coaching that fits with contemporary models of working and learning designed to add value at various stages of an employee’s career evolution.  As a senior executive coach working one-to-one with C-suite leaders, founders and entrepreneurs, this question of how best to teach professional skills comes up time and again.  Working closely with the learning and development team at The Investment Association we have shaped content that is focused, impactful, enjoyable and memorable and with bonus materials that extends beyond the day.”

Starting in September 2025, Streets Consulting will be delivering a number of professional skills courses targeting three tiers of professionals:  Emerging Professionals (early entrants to the industry); Expert Practitioners (mid-level management and/or practitioners) and Strategic Leaders (senior leaders needing to build their profile and sharpen their skills).

The programme includes:

• Critical Thinking, Emotional Intelligence and Communications Skills one day course – targeted at Emerging Professionals 
• A three part leadership bootcamp – targeted at Expert Practitioners
• How to be great on stage – hosting and moderating workshop – targeted at Expert Practitioners 

Registration is open for individuals and teams seeking to enhance their professional capabilities and future-proof their careers.