WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) today formally launched Insurance Apprenticeship USA, in collaboration with Zurich North America, the U.S. Department of Labor, The Hartford, and Aon. This is the industry’s first national effort to establish dedicated insurance apprenticeship programs in communities across America.
“APCIA is committed to the future of the insurance workforce,” said David Sampson, President & CEO of APCIA. “Through Insurance Apprenticeship USA, we are helping to expand opportunities that bring new talent into the industry and demonstrating our association’s leadership on issues of human capital.”
At the first Women & Diversity: Expanding Opportunities in Insurance conference in New York on February 28, co-hosted by APCIA, the American Council of Life Insurers and the Life Insurance Council of New York, executives from Zurich North America, The Hartford, and Aon shared their ventures into apprenticeship, and the opportunity it brings to cultivate a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Insurance Apprenticeship USA will be a movement to bring together insurers, brokers, agents, and risk managers across the industry in a coordinated effort to expand apprenticeship opportunities in the sector.
“Since 2016, we have seen the power of apprenticeships to change lives and channel new, diverse talent into our business,” said Kathleen Savio, CEO of Zurich North America. “We believe apprenticeships can help fuel innovation across the insurance industry, while solving for societal challenges such as the expense of higher education, unequal access to opportunities and the growing need for technological skills.”
Building upon the success of established programs in the industry, APCIA is broadening the scope to its full membership and other insurers, working to assemble local support for the apprenticeship model. With nearly 60 percent of the U.S. property casualty insurance market, APCIA has a depth and breadth of the industry unmatched by any other trade association.
Apprenticeship benefits the business of insurance and is critical to future-proofing the industry against challenges in talent and human capital. Expanding apprenticeship opportunities is one more way the insurance industry is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce. Apprenticeship attracts diverse talent while providing a debt-free path to an associate degree and professional career, helping alleviate the burden of student loans. Apprenticeship also addresses today’s blended workforce, opening doors for veterans, career changers, high school graduates, and parents heading back to work.
The launch of Insurance Apprenticeship USA underscores APCIA’s commitment to industry-wide initiatives on talent and human capital. APCIA is a proud founding member and partner of the Insurance Careers Movement.
Companies interested in joining the movement to expand insurance apprenticeship can contact APCIA Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Jessica Hanna (Jessica.hanna@apci.org). Read more about insurance apprenticeships here.