Minority Intern Program Launched
A minority agents association is working to attract college students into the independent insurance agency side of the business, and to give them more than "clerical gofer" chores.
Denise H. Lloyd, who chairs the Cincinnati-based National African-American Insurance Association, revealed that the association is working with Howard University in Washington and District of Columbia Insurance Commissioner Larry Mirel to put together a program that would allow Howard students to obtain a producers license while still attending the university.
The program is in reaction to one of Ms. Lloyds long-time concerns that there is a lack of true internship programs for students at independent agencies. Because students are not licensed, they are unable to deal with carriers and clients, she noted. As a result students end up performing unrewarding and unchallenging chores, she said.
Under the program, students would need to fulfill some basic requirements, including being at least 19-years-old, have no criminal history and pass the license exam, Ms. Lloyd said. She hopes to see the program begin shortly.
The Washington insurance department might offer internships, said Ms. Lloyd, and many NAAIA member agencies have said they would offer summer internships to the students.
Ms. Lloyd, who sits on the board of Howards insurance school, said that the hope is to attract insurance students to the program who would normally go "into the carrier side," where internships are generally offered. The goal, she said, "is to create and perpetuate minority agencies throughout the country."
Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, October 29, 2001. Copyright 2001 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.
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