IBAO & Humber College Address Commercial Lines Talent Shortage

A first-of-its-kind, three-month program delivers a solution to solve talent shortage—bringing skilled commercial lines professionals into the broker channel

TORONTO, ON, OCTOBER 21, 2022/insPRESS/ – Today, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) in partnership with Humber College, announced a new Certificate Program—Insurance Broker: Commercial Account Manager Certificate Program. The program was developed to offer more education options and increase the number of skilled commercial lines professionals working at independent brokerages across Ontario— easing the current talent shortage seen for this skilled segment of the industry. Prospective students will be able to register on January 1, 2023.

“We are proud to align IBAO’s broker education with Humber College, one of Ontario’s most esteemed education institutions,” said Joseph Carnevale. “IBAO has made training, education and recruitment to the industry a key component of our Association’s strategy. Commercial lines training is a critical skills gap in the industry that must be filled.”

The Program, which is available across Canada, will be delivered virtually through Humber College over the course of three months. A pilot program is scheduled for January, with the official launch taking place in September 2023. Students interested in taking part in the pilot session in January 2023 are encouraged to visit ibao.org/education/humber-college-partnership/.

Content students will cover includes:

• RIBO Level 1 License. Note: Students may be exempted from this portion of the program if they already have a RIBO license
• An emphasis on Commercials Lines technical skills
• Applied Systems Technology training on the Applied suite of products
• Professional Selling, Account Management and Client Prospecting training, all with respect to commercial lines
• Professional Writing training
• A built-in Mentorship Program with established students paired with commercial lines brokers across Ontario.

“This is an exciting partnership for Humber College that complements our existing post-graduate insurance program. This new, three-month, virtually delivered program will fulfill a need that both students and the industry are looking for,” said John McNeil from Humber College. Adding to the bench strength of this new commercial lines program, Applied Systems will work as a strategic partner in the curriculum development.

“Applied Systems believes that quality broker training is of the utmost importance to the insurance ecosystem,” said Steve Whitelaw, Applied Systems. “Technology is no small component of a broker’s day-to-day experience, so embedding technology skill development into training programs empowers the next generation of talent and streamlines the onboarding experience for brokerages. We’re thrilled to be involved with IBAO and Humber College.”

The program aims to attract students from within the insurance industry, including those RIBO licensed or not yet RIBO licensed. However, the net will also be cast broader as Humber and IBAO look to attract students from other learning disciplines and professional backgrounds.