WSIA's internship program: Closing the talent gap

The committee receives around 65 applications each year, which are pared down to 36 candidates for interviews. (Photo: Shawn Moynihan)

WSIA’s commitment to attracting fresh young talent to the Surplus Lines industry remains strong, and its efforts this year continue to yield progress on that front. This summer, 17 interns participated in WSIA’s Internship Program, a nine-week-long opportunity for college juniors and seniors to gain firsthand experience working in the Surplus Lines industry.

The interns spent five weeks with a carrier and four weeks with a wholesale broker, all of which are WSIA members. Ten of those students were selected to attend the 2018 WSIA Annual Marketplace in Atlanta. At the conference, the committee will award the top two interns with the J.H. Blades Scholarship, which gives them the opportunity to study the London market for three weeks the following summer.