SER caught up with Mike, and spoke with him about his role in launching the Community-based Insurance Careers Program. The Program focuses on developing a customized insurance career-training curriculum for 20 California community colleges.

Q: How did the CBICP come about?
A: Business education is part of the vocational services that community colleges offer across California. RPI worked with the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Business Education, the Insurance Educational Association and the Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West to get hard data on workforce shortages and job skill requirements. The survey conclusively showed that association members found it difficult to find qualified workers who had the specific skills needed for entry-level positions.

Q: Does the Insurance industry have specific hiring requirements?
A: The industry has merged with other financial service providers, and is highly regulated, even in the area of customer service. Association members wanted an 18- month curriculum for students, with the option to offer continuing professional development through CBICP.

Q: Is there strong demand for employees?
A: Yes. This program is the missing piece in the work force supply chain. It is providing a specific set of verifiable skills approved by the industry.

Q: How do you position and sell insurance to prospective students?
A: It’s been hard to generate excitement about a career in insurance; but, with the mergers in financial services, it’s a ladder to other careers, and an excellent foundation for business administration. You can go anywhere with an insurance certification, and there are lots of options for specialization outside of insurance—for example in IT and health administration—and now most businesses have insurance specialists, too. No one ever leaves the industry since it pays well, even for sales, customer service, and reception. Salaries are 8.5% above the national average for similar positions in other sectors.

Q: Do community colleges typically offer job placement and counseling?
A: No, but they do help with job applications and resumes. The CBICP will offer paid insurance internships for credit in the second year. This type of trial employment is also very valuable to employers!

Q: When did the program start?
A: In Fall 2006, seven community colleges began offering courses. The CBICP will build on existing business program curricula. Students will earn a Business AA degree with an insurance specialization certification. The colleges receive $1268 for each student, with a minimum of 12-18 seats filled per class. We have worked hard to demonstrate local demand; but the program will fail if it they just add it to the course catalog. There’s not a lot of competency to market special programs to students. We plan to use Insurance industry mailing lists, and will calibrate the number of colleges offering the program to the number of businesses in the area and available jobs. We’ll also connect to regional hiring web sites, and know that most students will move to where the jobs are.

Q: Is this model replicable for other industries?
A: Yes. Advanced manufacturing, retail, health, and other high growth industries are all possibilities. Community colleges do not have access to either the faculty qualified to develop this type of curriculum or the knowledge required to link a curriculum to the needs of industry. That’s where we come in. If the Feds provide kick-start funds to develop a curriculum and train teachers, community colleges will commit their own money. Community colleges are being integrated into regional workforce development systems, and we’re helping them to build the capital infrastructure, models, and metrics.

Q: How will you measure success for the CBICP?
A: We want to have 82 people trained by Aug 2007, and over 750 enrolled by the end of the third year. We plan to have 90% of CBICP graduates complete a 160-hour internship program, and expect 80% of those who complete the program to be placed in full-time employment in the insurance industry.


Community-based Insurance Careers Program; U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration