Over 700 interested in joining insurance industry as apprentices
Apr 06 2017
Over 700 interested in joining insurance industry as apprentices
Insurance Institute calls on employers to get involved
The Insurance Institute has called on organisations to become involved in the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship programme for 2017. This call for employers was announced following the publication of research, commissioned from Empathy, which found that 76% of young adults agreed that the opportunity to earn a salary while studying in their chosen field would strongly appeal to them.
This research was released by The Insurance Institute on Thursday 6 April to launch the 2017 programme, in which over 700 graduates, school leavers and career changers have registered their interest already.
As Ireland’s only level 8-degree apprenticeship, the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship enables new entrants to work for an insurance employer, earn a salary, while also studying for a BA Hons in Insurance Practice, through lectures that are live streamed into their workplace once a week. The programme was developed with input from insurance companies, brokers, loss adjusters and professional bodies, which means it fits the needs of both large and small businesses.
Sandra Harvey Graham, Apprenticeship Programme Manager at The Insurance Institute, has called on insurance employers to incorporate the programme into their succession plans, commenting that “The apprenticeship is the future of recruitment in our industry and the 36 employers who took on apprentices in 2016 are reaping the benefits. We strongly encourage employers of all sizes to get involved in a programme that will enable them to build their talent pool in a cost-effective way, develop missing skills and future-proof their organisations.”
Commenting on the findings of the research, Ms Graham continued, “The findings that 76% of young adults would relish the opportunity to earn and learn speaks volumes – this is what the workforce of the future wants, and it’s what we as an industry are delivering.”
In addition to fitting the requirements of general insurance businesses, The Insurance Institute has teamed up with the LIA to also offer the programme to Life and Financial Services organisations for 2017 and beyond.
Employers can find more information here. To apply to recruit an apprentice, call Naomi Gaffney on 01 645 6629 or email apprenticeship@iii.ie. The next programme will begin in September 2017, with recruitment already in progress.
To register your interest in becoming an apprentice, visit earnandlearn.ie/apprenticeships