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 endless career possibilities within the insurance industry.

What is an Ambassador?

• Ambassadors are insurance professionals who volunteer their time to inspire and educate students about their careers and education paths through classroom and community presentations and career fairs.
• As representatives of the property and casualty insurance industry, Ambassadors have experience helping people manage their home, auto and business risks.

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. All ambassadors are supplied with a number of tools to assist them with their presentations, including multi-media materials and interactive activities.

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. Through the ambassador program, we are endeavouring 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.

What do Ambassadors do?

• Ambassadors or "spokespeople" act on behalf of the property and casualty insurance industry to inspire and educate students about their careers and education paths through classroom/community presentations and career fairs.
• Our 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.
• Ambassadors go through a training process to learn about the key messaging to be presented to students and career seekers. This three to four hour training includes the presentation of different tools and educational resources to engage a variety of age groups and audiences.

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: 
  • Attending Back2School Launch event held in September each year
  • Participation in a mandatory training session at 4 hours
  • Participation in 2 - 4 classroom presentations at 2 - 4 hours per visit
  • Participation in 1 - 2 career events
  • Participation in meetings at 1 - 2 hours per meeting (including semi-annual meetings held by Career Connections)
  • Attending an end-of-school-year event to celebrate your participation in the program in June.
• Ambassadors are expected to participate at events you have volunteered for or to find an alternative Ambassador to take your place.
• Additional workshops, tutorials and tools are offered to support Ambassadors but are not a requirement.

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

• You Benefit: You will receive professional development in public speaking and mentoring 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 Ambassador program allows the industry to respond to myths and misconceptions. It helps to develop a pool of professional 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 "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.