Conestoga news

September 10, 2013 2:00 PM

Life Insurance education program to start at Conestoga in 2014

A new, two-year co-op diploma program that provides students with the skills and knowledge required for careers in Canada’s life insurance industry will be offered at Conestoga beginning in September 2014.

The Insurance - Life program, a companion to Conestoga’s highly successful Insurance - Property & Casualty program in the School of Business and Hospitality, will augment general business education with specific training and specialization in life insurance.

The program is the first of its kind in Canada, and will prepare students for entry-level positions in all areas of life insurance, from administration and underwriting to claims adjusting and marketing. Participants in the program, which incorporates courses from LOMA - global leader in industry training and education for life insurance professionals - will be eligible to write the ten examinations leading to the FLMI® (Fellow, Life Management Institute™) designation, recognized as the standard of excellence for professionals in the insurance and financial services industry.

According to Elizabeth Paling, assistant vice-president of organization development and talent sourcing, enterprise services and corporate at Sun Life Financial, “This new program is welcomed as we continue to grow our business and need talented people to serve our customers.”

Canada’s health and life insurance industry provides full-time employment for approximately 140,000 individuals, according to a 2012 report provided by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Almost 65,000 of these individuals work in Ontario, which is home to the head offices of 61 life insurers.

Conestoga’s Insurance - Life program will serve the needs of our community, a major hub of Ontario’s insurance industry, and put students on the path to successful careers, explained Conestoga President John Tibbits: “We are very proud to work with our industry partners to introduce this important new program that will support growth and prosperity in our region and across the province.”

For more information about Conestoga’s full range of career-focused education and training programs, visit www.conestogac.on.ca

For media inquiries, contact Brenda Cassidy, 519-748-5220 ext 3336, bcassidy@conestogac.on.ca