With jobs in the insurance industry in such high demand, Heidelberg students have a new pathway to network with and connect to potential employers for jobs and internships.
Recently, the Insurance and Risk Management program – a concentration within the business administration major – has formally become an education partner of the Ohio Insurance Industry Resource Council (IIRC).
The IIRC, with its partner, the Ohio Insurance Institute, is a not-for-profit organization that includes a multitude of Ohio’s major insurance-related companies. The IIRC was created to support those education partner universities with insurance/risk management programs to develop student pipelines for future careers in insurance. According to Kurt Loeffler, CFA, ARM, CTP, who teaches Heidelberg’s insurance/risk management program, resources from the partnership will give Heidelberg’s job- and internship-seeking students a tremendous advantage.
For example, each semester Loeffler will be able to send the contact information of upcoming graduating seniors or juniors looking for career opportunities or internships to the Council. The IIRC will then share that information directly with recruiters from member insurance companies looking to fill open positions.
“It’s like a virtual career fair every semester,” Loeffler said.
And speaking of career fairs, the IIRC will also support Heidelberg’s career fairs by contacting all member insurance companies and inviting their participation. Additionally, Heidelberg is part of the IIRC’s Adopt-a-School Program, where local insurance companies will focus on developing relationships with the Heidelberg School of Business, Computer Science and Information Technology by helping to foster the student pipeline.
“This partnership offers tons of opportunities in terms of job placements for our students,” Loeffler said. “It really is a great connector for jobs and internships.”
The IIRC supports insurance and risk management curriculums by providing speakers and offering to help institutions set up an honors society. That’s down the road for Heidelberg, Loeffler said.
Heidelberg is one of only about 10 colleges and universities in Ohio that are Education Partners for the IIRC.
The 24 current students enrolled in Insurance and Risk Management classes are gaining an in-depth understanding of and developing skills in risk assessment, control and transfer for individuals, families and commercial organizations. The concentration includes courses such as Introduction to Insurance and Risk Management, Personal Lines and Life/Health Insurance, Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance, and Risk Management Principles & Practice.
Students also benefit from direct networking opportunities with weekly guest lecturers who share their industry experience. In fact, one of those connections was the impetus for creation of the IIRC partnership with Heidelberg. Dean Fadel, president of the Ohio Insurance Institute, has been a guest in Loeffler’s class for the past few semesters. Other regular speakers in Heidelberg’s program represent key insurance companies, such as Travelers, State Farm, The Hylant Group, Oswald Companies, FM Global, AllState, along with local agencies and insurers.