The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 3 - 51

WHAT'S NEW
THE TALENT PIPELINE
CENTENNIAL COLLEGE
With Richard Karim from Centennial College
I
BAO has partnered with six Ontario College Insurance
Management Programs to help bring new talent to the broker
channel. We spoke with Richard Karim from Centennial
College to discuss their Insurance Management program
and how it prepares students for an exciting career in the
insurance industry.
TELL US ABOUT CENTENNIAL'S INSURANCE MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM.
Centennial College's Insurance Management program is currently in
its fifth year, offering a one-year Graduate Certificate that helps students
find a pathway in the insurance sector. The program offers seven out of
10 Canadian Insurance Professional (CIP) courses and is coupled with
other advanced courses including accounting, law, and economics. The
program also offers a two-week field placement in the winter semester
where students are paired within the sector, either at a carrier or
brokerage to learn and engage with professionals. The program offers
several events, bursaries, and prospects to build them up for success.
WHAT HAS THE INTEREST LEVEL BEEN FOR THE PROGRAM?
The program has had growing interest from students, however, due to
the pandemic, enrolment was stagnant over the past two years. We've
seen a significant increase in student enrolment in 2022 and expect this
year to have the highest turnout. Our goal is to be consistently between
25-30 students and have a program available in both the Fall and Winter
semesters to meet the demand for jobs.
We promote our program to Centennial graduate students who
are approaching the end of their three-year program. We also see
international students from Asia and South America with an interest in
insurance enrolling in the program.
WHAT IS CENTENNIAL DOING TO INCREASE INTEREST IN THE
BROKER CHANNEL?
The broker channel can have a negative connotation as some
students associate brokers to sales and salary to commission. Our goal
is to educate and inform the importance of the broker channel, their
invaluable knowledge in the industry, their role to protect their clients,
and the various roles brokers play including account management,
producing, and marketing to ensure students understand each
stakeholder's involvement when placing and spreading risk.
Centennial currently partners with IBAO and several brokers sit on our
Program Advisory Committee to give direction on the program outcomes
and initiatives. In addition, we have partnered with IBAO to offer free RIBO
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 3
level I licensing to those who apply and qualify (minimum GPA of 2.0).
IBAO has joined us as a guest speaker, promoting the benefits of being a
broker, including a mentorship program, free networking events including
the IBAO convention, and career fairs.
WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED ON THE PROGRAM?
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Students were not
expecting to come in and land a great job with a great company
eight months later. Insurance has some of the best opportunities for
growth, balance, and a meaningful career. Students love engaging with
professionals. IBAO events, career fairs and their field placement at their
employers are their best experiences. They see how hard individuals
work, how much the industry gives back to communities, and the level of
care we take in serving our customers.
WHAT OTHER NEW INITIATIVES DOES CENTENNIAL HAVE
PLANNED?
While Covid isn't entirely behind us, we are excited to return to campus
for the majority of the classes. We are planning a hybrid model, with
one course being taught online. This will allow us to return to a more
traditional learning experience and have speakers from all areas of
insurance to help build momentum for students to be excited. We have
expertise in underwriting, claims, broking, reinsurance, risk management
and project management to help students find an area that will spark
their interest and help build a long-term strategy for their careers.
51
The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 3

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