Can you insure yourself against a zombie apocalypse? What about a post you regret on TikTok, or a stolen PlayStation? These are some of the questions we've put to Transition Year students on our recent school visits, and they are an interesting introduction to an industry and career that most teenagers never think about.
The Insurance Literacy Programme for Transition Year Students builds on these curious questions. The programme is free, fully online and designed for 16 to 17 year olds. If you have a TY student at home, or know a teacher, school principal, TY coordinator or guidance counsellor, this one is worth passing on.
What's in it?
Module 1: Money, it's not the end of the world, is it? Financial literacy and sustainability. Students look at what money is, how to plan financially and what the language of money means. They also explore climate change and climate justice, and tackle questions like “Are you a responsible and ethical consumer?” and “How is the insurance industry protecting the planet?”
Module 2: Insurance . . . yawn! Risk, what insurance is, why it matters, and who is who in the Irish insurance market. Students who want more can take bonus modules on insurance principles, products (including some quirky risks) and how the Central Bank protects consumers.
Module 3: Any chance of a job? Careers in insurance, from customer-facing roles to data science, cyber security, AI, sustainability and underwriting, plus the routes in, including the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship.
Can you guess the job?
Here's a taste of the kind of activities that students get stuck into. Which insurance professional would say this - a broker, underwriter or claims professional?
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"I need to assess the risk of flooding in a new business development area."
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"A fire has damaged a building our insurance company covers. I need to find the cause and the right payment."
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"I need to find a suitable insurance policy for a music concert with 60,000 attendees."
Answers: 1 is an underwriter, 2 is a claims professional and 3 is a broker.
How it works
Students work through the Insurance Literacy Programme online at their own pace, using text, audio, video, case studies and quizzes. They also play the Financial Times Climate Risk and Sustainability Game, stepping into the role of a global decision-maker tackling climate change. The programme will take a student approximately 10 hours, so it suits independent learning or facilitation in a classroom setting.
At the end, students take a 20-question multiple-choice quiz based on the programme's content. Scoring 75% or more earns The Insurance Institute’s Digital Badge in Insurance Literacy.
“We built a programme that students can work through in class or on their own, at their own pace, using real-life case studies and quizzes. It helps them build future-ready skills in money, risk and careers.” Siobhán Wynne, Development Manager, The Insurance Institute
The TY Pizza Challenge
Our TY Insurance Literacy Programme Challenge is on. The school with the most completions by 12th December wins a Pizza Day for all of its TY students.
To take part, students complete the programme on Moodle and download their Digital Badge. Teachers and coordinators can help by encouraging every TY student in the school to join in, because every completion counts towards the school's total. The winning school will be announced the week before the Christmas break.
Help us spread the word
The programme is free for students and schools, and no prior knowledge of insurance is needed. You can help by:
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Forwarding this to a TY student, parent, teacher, principal, guidance counsellor, TY coordinator, or local school
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Passing on the registration links below.
Once registered, students receive their Moodle login details within a week and can get started on the programme.
Registration