Insurance broker representative body, the London & International Insurance Brokers’ Association (LIIBA) is set to host the largest group placement in the financial sector for disadvantaged university students during the first week of July.
The upReach charity initiative, Xperience, will provide 30 students from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to gain experience and insight into the London insurance market with engagement across 16 City-based firms, which includes LIIBA member firms of all size.
For one week, the upReach Xperience initiative will allow attendees to complete a placement with one of the participating firms as well as engage in networking opportunities and skills workshops. Among the workshops, students will be offered training on presentation skills, data usage and regulation, as well as mentoring on their individual projects during a designated drop-in session.
On the Friday 8 July, students will be invited to Lloyd’s of London for an introduction to Lloyd’s Lab, the state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the creation of ideas and products for the insurance market, and a tour of the Lloyd’s building. Students will also be able to present their final projects to other attendees and industry professionals, with prizes for the winning team.
The initiative signals further developments in LIIBA’s efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion in the London insurance market. The experience features centrally among other initiatives as part of the Belonging@LIIBA campaign, which aims to create space for everyone in the insurance and financial sector regardless of background.
Students will be welcomed to the programme with a project brief and reception on Monday 4 July.
Jacqueline Girow, LIIBA’s D&I lead, said: “We’re excited to see one of our key initiatives come to fruition. It is important to all of us at LIIBA that we fulfil our strategic objectives and create a more open and inclusive space across insurance and finance.
“An initiative such as upReach Xperience has been a long time in the making and we are proud to pioneer opportunities for those who would otherwise not be able to access the industry.”
Stephanie Lieber, upReach Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted that LIIBA have managed to secure so many work experience places within the London insurance market for our new Xperience programme. Thirty of our associates will benefit from valuable work experience placements that represents the largest single placement of this initiative across the financial services sector.”