Major support for insurance Apprentices
12 June 2008
Lee McQueen from may have won The Apprentice and landed himself a dream job with Sir Alan Sugar, but the CII Group has pointed out that the insurance industry is now playing a significant role in promoting and advancing Apprenticeships within the sector.

A growing number of insurance companies, including R&SA, Equity, JCB Insurance Services and Direct Line have enrolled staff in Apprenticeship programmes, taking advantage of the financial benefits of Apprenticeships that allow them to maximise their training budgets.

"As another successful series of The Apprentice finishes, the story has only just begun for Apprentices working in the financial services sector, with major employers now reaching out beyond their existing pool of talent," comments Caspar Bartington, Relationship Manager - Further and Higher Education at the Chartered Insurance Institute.

For these Apprentices, they also see the job on offer, together with the high-quality training and support that comes with it, as giving them the keys to further their career development - it's really no surprise that so many people around the country are waking up to Apprenticeships."

At JCB Insurance Services, ten members of staff have successfully completed the Certificate in Insurance as part of the Apprenticeshipduring the last 12 months and Tracey Thompson, Commercial Director, endorses the benefits of Apprenticeships: "They have added value to our business as well as our employees, and JCB Insurance Services will continue to support the scheme as an important part of each individuals' training and development and a recognised insurance industry qualification."

Karren Brady, who was one of the interviewers on The Apprentice, was a main speaker at the CII's Big Event in Manchester University last October, the first ever insurance specific insurance careers for graduates.

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