Ongoing professional development can be hampered by a number of issues.

Whilst employers will always strive to offer opportunities for development for those who work for them, there are no guarantees that regular business objectives will be able to accommodate new and challenging professional experiences.

It is crucial that professional bodies offer strong support to their members at a regional level.

Traditionally, the PMI has been strong in its support for regional groups, but one area that has historically been without regional representation has been Northern Ireland.

However, in March, the PMI launched a new Northern Ireland group to address this anomaly.

The group has ambitious growth plans, as it will showcase the benefits of education, diversity and inclusion to like-minded groups and businesses and seek to attract more professionals into the pension industry in Northern Ireland.

As well as opportunities for CPD events, it will now be possible to hold PMI examinations in the Province and a reciprocal arrangement with the Irish Institute of Pensions Management (IIPM) will allow Irish examinations provided via Northern Ireland examination centres.

Establishing regional pension networks across the UK is critically important for the pensions sector as a whole.

Pensions companies need to be able to play their role in the furtherment and betterment of our sector and this will only be achieved if we can all connect at a local level.

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