Part of a Wiser Academy programme to bring 500 young people into insurance
GRP’s South West hub broker, Higos has boosted its intake of college leavers in order to help build the next generation of insurance brokers in the South West.
Matt Hartigan, Higos CEO said his business has worked with Wiser Academy to operate an apprenticeship programme, taking in up to ten college leavers each year.
“With Wiser Academy, we create a 15-month programme of professional and technical development for our apprentices which gives them the time and focus to achieve a qualification while they also develop into a full time role within the business.”
Mr Hatigan said that as well as Wiser Academy, Higos has three dedicated people within the business to mentor and guide the graduates.
“Recent surveys have found that over 90% of brokerages across the UK have vacancies, but it’s no good sitting back and hoping young people will knock on your door asking for a job, as competition from other sectors for the best talent is intense.”
He added: “We decided to take a different approach, targeting college leavers and developing active relationships with local schools. Our programme has been a vital source of future talent for the business and enables Higos to develop the next generation of insurance talent in our region.”
Crescens George, CEO Of Wiser Academy, said the Higos initiative is a key part of its broader “Rise Up’ programme highlighting the opportunities for young people in insurance, especially broking. We believe every local broking CEO should be adopting a similar path to Higos and become much more aggressive in recruiting young talent.
“Those of us working in the industry understand that insurance is a fantastic career choice, but we need to be much smarter in the way we recruit.”
Matt Hartigan added: “We will continue to invest in our future talent in this way as a proven route to address the challenges of recruitment across the industry and the country as a whole.
Mr George said: “Wiser Academy aims to get a minimum of 200 young people in broking via the Rise Up programme in 2023, but we would really love to get to 500, as the industry desperately needs new blood, and we would love to talk to other brokers looking to give their recruitment a boost.”