Like millions of Americans, I’ve had the privilege of having a fulfilling, lucrative career in the insurance industry—one which, like many other individuals, I landed into by chance.
Yet it’s still very difficult for me to accept how many bright young people currently making career choices have no idea about the potential in this huge and versatile industry. This is an untenable situation—but there is a solution.
InVEST is the only education program that develops a large pool of qualified insurance recruits. This program attacks head-on three challenges our industry faces: a shortage of qualified recruits; a dearth of multicultural or diverse population representation; and an overall lack of understanding of and respect for our industry.
Most often, insurance as a career just isn’t on a young graduate-to-be’s radar as she or he evaluates career options.
Why is that? Because we’re not reaching out to them at a young enough age! To compete for superior entry-level candidates, we need to reach students at an earlier age—while they are making career choices.
The program builds a unique business and education partnership by training young folks in insurance agency and company operations, exposing them to different careers in the industry, and encouraging them to pursue careers in our industry.
How does the it work? Easy—all that is necessary is identify a high school or community college in your area and set up a volunteer group to work with the school, mentor students, conduct field trips, etc.
InVEST will provide the course materials you need—and those materials will even be available online this year.
I also believe it is important to perpetuate the Independent Agency System—and InVEST is a solution for that as well.
Most of the 235 programs around the country are run by independent agents and brokers as well as local carrier representatives. In fact, there are 1,500 industry professionals involved—it’s the best-kept secret in our business.
Those who are involved get to pick from the “best of the best” talent coming out of these classes. Remember, the learning curve about your firm will be a lot quicker with these fine young folks.
It’s a wonderful community project for your agency and also a great way to get young agents involved.
Classrooms full of students look to the InVEST program for career guidance. Two-thirds of the programs’ graduates go to work in the insurance industry. Our Grossmont (Calif.) Community College program has a 75 percent placement rate—better than most recruiting firms.
Before they begin the course, few students are aware of the many diverse careers in insurance. The program exposes students to 350 careers in insurance. Many students tell me they had no idea of the career possibilities in the world of insurance.
InVEST also address the industry’s lack of diversity. Urban areas such as Los Angeles, Denver, Orlando and New York have an average of 60 percent multicultural student participation.
The course has an immediate practical application: at the end of every lesson, the students are better-educated consumers. Not only is the program an excellent way to improve understanding and appreciation of the industry, but it also offers students a multitude of business life lessons.
Students develop entrepreneurial and managerial skills to help them advance in the business world. They also learn the importance of their place as consumers in a private-enterprise system.
InVEST has educated 85,000 students about our industry since it was formed 30 years ago in the Los Angeles area and graduates approximately 6,000 students each year in 25 states.
One of my favorite graduates is Pat Host, who was a student of mine in 1993 and is currently working as an underwriter at Golden Eagle Insurance.
Like many of my students, she came to the program with little ambition for embarking on a career in insurance. Today, she participates as a guest speaker for local programs and is a wonderful role model for our students.
This insurance education program addresses the challenges faced by our industry and strives for solutions to help us perpetuate it.
In the classroom, I strive for my students at minimum, to become knowledgeable consumers, and, at best, exceptional insurance evangelists. A teacher must believe in the value and interest of his subject, and I believe in InVEST.
Obviously, I’m proud of my work for this program, but I’d be even prouder if I convinced you to visit www.investprogram.org to see how you can get involved.
Bob Captain-or “Captain Bob” as his students know him-was honored with the 2001 InVEST Teacher of the Year award. Currently working at Barney & Barney, Captain has been active in the insurance industry for 30 years, and has been teaching and leading InVEST for 15 years.
Topics Market Training Development
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