There is a high demand for skilled labour in the insurance industry, and more post-secondary institutions are adding insurance and risk management to their curriculum. Funding these programs allows the broker channel to support students as sponsors and mentors in their education journey.

Hugh Wood Canada Ltd. sponsors the Humber College Insurance Management program, which has earned a reputation for graduating top-tier insurance talent who are fully equipped to begin a successful career in the broker channel. Hugh Wood President Kyle Nichols said, “We created the Hugh Wood Memorial Scholarship to assist students with tuition. We have an excellent relationship with Humber College, and we’ve had great results hiring from the program. We fully intend to continue to tap into that resource to build our up-and-coming insurance professionals.”

Executive VP of Finance & Administration John Aschwanden said, “What differentiates the program from hiring a graduate with a business degree is that you're getting someone who is fully up to speed on the practices and processes involved in insurance.” He also said, “Insurance is a niche-like business, so being able to hire candidates that are trained with the technology we use, understand the industry lingo and have a passion for insurance is exactly what we’re looking for.”

Because Humber’s Insurance Management program is geared towards career changers, new grads, and newcomers to Canada, traditional questions that might be asked in job interviews, such as, “How would you use your experience for this position?” may not be relevant. John McNeil, associate dean of the Insurance Management Program at Humber College, said, “What Kyle Nichols and John Aschwanden do in their interviews is give a student a Certificate of Insurance with incorrect information on it, and then they have to figure out what's wrong with it, and it’s satisfying to see how they enjoy tearing it apart.”

We understand how challenging it can be to find the right talent for your brokerage, and providing financial support and mentorship to insurance and risk management students is an excellent way to deepen your talent pool. To learn more about what Applied Systems and our partners are doing to support the next generation of insurance professionals, download our eBook, Empowering the Rising Generations in Insurance.