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FAQ

What is the Insurance Institute's Career Connections' Ambassador Program?

The Career Connections' Ambassador Program acts like a speakers' bureau and is designed to heighten awareness of the property and casualty insurance industry in an interactive way through presentations and distribution of materials and information to junior high, high school and post-secondary students.
The program aims to educate students about insurance principles, the role of insurance in society, and the variety of career possibilities within the insurance industry.

What is an Ambassador?

Ambassadors are insurance industry professionals who volunteer their time to represent the property and casualty insurance industry, to serve as career and education mentors and presenters, and to establish positive relationships among youth, teachers, and the insurance industry.
As an Ambassador, you have the opportunity to mentor those not currently in the industry and share your career and education journey in classrooms and at secondary, post-secondary and community career events across Canada.
As representatives of the property and casualty insurance industry, Ambassadors have experience helping people manage their home, auto and business risks.


What do Ambassadors do?

Represent the Insurance Industry - The main focus for an Ambassador is to represent the property and casualty insurance industry and enable students to learn about the career opportunities the industry offers. Whether at a career fair, in a classroom setting or a formal guest speaking engagement, volunteers will have the opportunity to:

Be an advocate for property and casualty insurance industry;
Educate youth on what insurance is and why it is important in today’s society;
Showcase the insurance industry to future recruits as a high caliber professional career;
Heighten awareness of the insurance industry to educators and youth;
Share personal education and career experiences;
Gain personal satisfaction in motivating others to pursue their educational and career aspirations
Act as “Spokespeople” - Through classroom/community presentations and career fairs, Ambassadors act on behalf of the property and casualty insurance industry to inspire and educate students and career seekers about their careers and education paths.

The goal is to encourage a greater number of quality candidates to choose insurance as a career, thereby fulfilling industry's need for new talent and, in the long run, enhance the perception of insurance as a high calibre professional career. Ambassadors also touch on basic insurance principles like risk, personal and social responsibility, utmost good faith and ethics.

What are the criteria for an Ambassador?

Committed to industry professional development
Committed to life-long learning
Currently employed by a property and casualty insurance organization
Speaks with confidence and integrity
Comfortable with public speaking and conducting presentations to all audience levels

What type of training does an Ambassador receive to be part of the program?

Ambassadors participate in a training program which emphasizes the importance of interactive communication with young adults and career seekers. Training consists of a one-hour introductory webinar about Career Connections AND a four-hour in-class training session.
Trainings happen in September/October and January/February. Please confirm with Career Connections regarding a training in your region.
All ambassadors are supplied with a number of tools to assist them with their participation within the program, including multi-media materials and interactive activities to engage their different audiences at different career events.

What are the time commitments of an Ambassador?

Anticipated minimum commitment of Ambassadors is approximately 15 - 25 hours in within the 10-month school year from September to June. This would include:
Participation in a mandatory training session at 4 hours (1 time only, when you first join program)
Attending Back2School launch event in September
Participation in 2 – 4 classroom presentations at 2 – 4 hours per visit
Participation in 1 – 2 career events at 2 – 4 hours per visit (or a combination)
Participation in meetings at 1 - 2 hours per meeting (including semi-annual meetings held by Career Connections)
Attend an end-of-school-year event to celebrate your participation in the program in June

 
Why does the Insurance Institute have this type of program as part of the Career Connections Program?

As the education arm for the insurance industry, the Insurance Institute is committed to ensuring that the industry has the quantity and quality of professionals it needs to grow in the future. Career Connections is a multi-layered strategy to raise awareness with as many potential candidates as possible. Through the ambassador program, we are endeavoring to put a positive face on the industry and to encourage career-minded youth to consider a career path that includes insurance as a possible option.

How does this program benefit me? My organization? The property & casualty insurance industry?

You Benefit: You will have the opportunity to share your own unique story and to mentor future recruits. You'll network with other professionals. You'll receive a comprehensive training kit and training session plus ongoing support from Career Connections. And ultimately, you'll have the chance to give back to the community.
Your Organization Benefits: Your organization will be represented in hundreds of classrooms across Canada. Young consumers and future recruits will build an understanding of your organization and be able to put a face to the brand. Working with Career Connections will also open up further professional development and networking opportunities for your employees.
P & C Insurance Industry Benefits: The Career Connections program allows the industry to respond to myths and misconceptions. It helps to develop a pool of interested recruits to choose from in the next few years. The program can also encourage students to choose business insurance programs at various colleges/universities throughout Canada.

Is there material or information for my employer, team leader, or supervisor?

Yes, we provide letters that explain the program and an Ambassador's role to your employer or supervisor. You may also visit the INDUSTRY portion of our website.

 

What other ways can my organization get involved?

Participate in “Careers in Insurance” events – Career Connections has created partnerships with Career centres at local colleges and universities, allowing industry specific career fairs to take place on campus. Insurance organizations have the opportunity to set up a booth to showcase the different career opportunities for students. Prior to or during the event, Career Connections will also host a panel conversation with a cross section of industry professionals sharing their career journey, industry insights and tips for success.
Participate in Take our Kids to Work Day / "Feed the Minds of Youth" - This event coincides with The Learning Partnership's annual "Take Our Kids to Work" (TOKW) Day, usually the first Wednesday in November, when grade nine students can accompany their parent or guardian to work. For those insurance organizations who participate in this annual event, there is an opportunity to take part in the Insurance Institute's "Feed the Minds of Youth." Each year, local institutes and chapters invite the insurance community to partake in a lunch event that brings together a variety of industry professionals with students. Typically TOKW exposes a student to one job. With "Feed the Minds of Youth," we want to demonstrate to all students the many roles within the insurance industry.
Post job opportunities on the Career Connections Job Site - We would like to encourage all employers to promote available positions (from entry-level to executive roles) or to search the resume database. As a self-contained, easy-to-use, on-line service, the Job Site is a resource to help employers recruit new talent. In addition to promoting the site to Institute students and graduates, our outreach in post-secondary schools directs interested candidates to post their resume to the Job Site and search for career opportunities. Watch for continued growth and development of the Job Site.