Andy Seed on how TAP is transforming trustee training

For Andy Seed, a pensions professional with almost three decades of experience, the Trustee Apprenticeship Programme (TAP) represents exactly the kind of disruption the industry has long needed. “I think the entire programme is ripe for some disruption… real-word learning for pension scheme trustees is vital, because there’s no ground rules for how you become a pension scheme trustee.” 

Andy’s view is clear: trustees need more than theoretical knowledge. They need exposure to real-life dilemmas, hands-on decision-making, and the messy, nuanced situations that textbooks can’t capture. “No academic textbook is going to teach you the nuances of the difficult decisions you’re going to have to make,” he says. That’s where TAP excels - bringing case studies, realistic simulations and practical experiences to the forefront. 

Trusteeship: more like a non-executive role 

Andy, Chief Growth Officer at Aptia, draws a powerful parallel between trustees and non-executive directors, noting that trustees must oversee complex systems without directly implementing solutions. “A trustee isn’t just an overseer of pension scheme assets… you’re effectively a bit more like a non-executive director,” he explains. Trustees identify issues, rely on others to act, and carry ultimate responsibility - something best learned through practice, not theory. 

This makes TAP’s practical approach essential. For Andy, the mock trustee meeting held in March as the final part of the programme perfectly illustrated this. It allowed learners to experience what it really feels like to contribute, challenge, question, and make decisions in a high‑stakes environment. 

Breaking complexity into something digestible 

One of the strengths of TAP, Andy says, is its modular structure. The programme breaks down pension scheme complexity into manageable pieces. “It’s been chunked up into the various major constituent parts… defined benefit, DC, investment, legal,” he explains. This helps participants build knowledge steadily without being overwhelmed. 

But beyond content, Andy values the emphasis on mindset. “The training delivery has been very much focused on be curious, ask smart questions, use common sense,” he says. In the sessions he delivered, he noticed how well this landed. “They were asking smart questions, they were curious… and that’s a great starting point.” 

Giving back to the next generation 

With nearly 30 years in the industry, Andy sees his involvement as part of his professional responsibility. He views the programme as a form of social value - an investment in the industry’s future. “I’d almost say this is a bit of a social value project. It’s definitely about giving something back to the next generation of talent.” 

Tackling the pipeline problem — and the diversity problem 

Andy speaks candidly about the risks facing the trustee landscape. “Eighty percent of pension scheme trustees work for the 10 largest independent trustee firms in the UK… you’ve got a massive concentration risk.” Trustees have traditionally come from a narrow profile: long careers in pensions, a specific age group, and often similar backgrounds. 

TAP changes that. It creates an alternative pipeline for talented people who don’t have decades of industry experience. “How do you bring them up that steep learning curve?… This is addressing a big gap,” Andy says. 

And in doing so, it introduces diversity of age, experience and perspective - something the industry urgently needs. TAP participants bring fresher viewpoints, different professional histories, and varied ways of thinking that challenge the traditional trustee mould. 

Why pensions still matter - even if they seem “boring” 

Andy acknowledges the image problem the sector has. “Ask people on the High Street what they know about pensions… you could probably count it on one finger,” he jokes. But he stresses its societal importance. “If you’ve not saved enough for later life… you’re not going to have the standard of life in retirement you’d like.” 

Pensions may be complex, rule-heavy and not always “sexy,” but they’re essential. TAP helps people connect the dots between pensions training and the real-world impact it has on long‑term wellbeing for savers.  

Looking ahead 

Andy believes TAP is building something vital: a new wave of trustees equipped with real understanding, curiosity, and confidence. “Who knows — some of these people might work for professional trustee firms. What a brilliant training ground,” he says. 

For him, TAP isn’t just a programme. It’s helping future-proof pensions governance - and opening the door to people who might never otherwise have stepped into the industry.