View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2009/03/30/99148.htm
The Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West) has begun administration of a California-wide insurance careers program that unites community colleges, workforce investment boards, businesses, and the K-12 education system.
The California Insurance Careers Program (CA-ICP) combines the insurance industry knowledge and resource base of the IBA West, a trade association of independent insurance agents and brokers, with a statewide-based education system. Through its subsidiary, Insurance Skills Center, IBA West has experience developing traditional and online insurance professional training programs.
The association has taken over management of the statewide program from Rockridge Partners, an Oakland-based professional program management firm that developed the program in partnership with Solano Community College.
Currently, CA-ICP involves partners that include 17 community colleges, nine Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), 30 businesses (including several insurance companies), and employer associations representing more than 4,500 businesses statewide with linkages to national networks.
The program is funded in part by a grant awarded under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration.
“A key goal of the IBA West Strategic Plan is to assist member brokers and agents to find, recruit and train new insurance producers and client service personnel,” said Clark Plan, IBA West CEO. “Assuming the management of CA-ICP will allow IBA West to continue its efforts to educate students interested in the insurance profession and provide active lists of candidates, that will help independent insurance brokers and agents recruit highly-trained agency personnel,” Payan said.
The association will also continue its efforts to work with its 31 local Big “I” associations to identify high schools interested in InVEST, as well as to locate other community colleges interested in join the CA-ICP program. InVEST educates high school students on careers in insurance, financial services and risk management and encourages them to pursue careers in the industry. InVEST dovetails the efforts of CA-ICP.
In addition, the association will consolidate its current job posting service within the CA-ICP Web site to better match potential candidates with broker-agent firms offering intern, part-time and full-time opportunities.
“Our ultimate goal is to grow the independent insurance delivery system,” Payan said. “Determine available candidates, training them the high-school and college-level programs, and matching them with firms offering employment opportunities is the best formula for success.”
For more information on CA-ICP, www.IBAWest.com or www.CA-ICP.com.
Source: IBA West