Get Into Insurance Programme
16-27 September 2024; taster day 5 September
Some people think insurance is boring. But then again, most people know very little about it.
They probably don’t know, for example, that many of the most famous buildings in the City skyline - the Gherkin, Walkie Talkie, Cheesegrater, Lloyd’s - are all home to insurance businesses.
What is Get Into Insurance?
Meet some of the Get Into Insurance alumni who now work at Howden! Hear about what they got up to during their internship, why the experience was valuable to them, and where they are now in their careers.
Get Into Insurance is a great way to learn about jobs in the sector beyond the roles that usually come to mind. See where your skills could fit, meet people who are excited to share their knowledge with you, and get practical experience at the heart of a global insurance hub.
Insurance is a world of opportunities
It’s not only car, home and travel cover; insurance is everywhere once you scratch the surface.
On a TV game show, when the contestant wins a big cash prize, it’s usually insurance that pays it. When a Premier League football club gives players a bonus for avoiding relegation, that’s often an insurance pay-out too. And when the Red Cross needs to get aid to a disaster zone because a volcano has erupted? Even that can be an insurance pay-out.
These are just a few examples. But trust us. Anything that you’re interested in - from driverless cars to political risk, from rockets to sportspeople - there’s an insurance aspect, and specialist advisors who work on it.
You can build a rewarding, long-term career in insurance. If you work hard and learn as you go, you can rise through the ranks or even start your own insurance business.
As you grow your career, many of the salaries working in commercial (business) insurance in the London market are much higher than the UK average earnings.
London is a major player in the insurance world
The London insurance market trades over £100 billion in insurance premiums annually and has over 350 insurance businesses close together in the EC3 postcode. It’s a vibrant and social place, and the doorway to insurance markets all round the world.
There are plenty of opportunities to forge a successful career, depending on your interests, personality and skills.
- Brokers – brokers are the dealmakers, advising and negotiating agreements between clients and a range of insurers
- Underwriters – underwriters manage the negotiation on behalf of the insurer, deciding the terms that the insurer can offer
- Compliance and Audit – as insurance is a regulated industry with its own specific laws, compliance people operate like detectives, making sure everyone is following the rules
- Data analysts – insurance is a data-heavy industry, if you like numbers there are plenty of opportunities to learn how to use data and technology for business decision making.
Our industry also needs good people in other standard business functions, such as: IT, Digital, Marketing, Human Resources and Finance.
Want to get a taste of what it’s all about?
With our partners The King's Trust and LIIBA, we’re offering a two-week programme which could lead to a 12-week paid internship. After that, the possibilities are endless.
The Get Into Insurance Programme is a two-week in-person introduction to insurance, the London Market, and regulated insurance business. This includes an overview of the various roles in the market.
- On-the-job work experience
- Support and development of your professional skills and on-the-job behaviours
- Employability skills training (CV, interview prep, goal setting)
- Practical experience of project work in a corporate setting
- Guidance from a King's Trust colleague or volunteer for up to six months to help you plan your future
- A new friendship group to share the experience with across the two weeks
- Travel expenses paid for.
You will need to be:
- Registered with The Prince’s Trust
- Aged 18-30
- Able to demonstrate a good level of education. Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
- Prepared to undergo a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
FAQs
The Taster Day is an opportunity for you to find out more about the programme and decide if you want to proceed.
On the day you will have the opportunity to meet the people that will be running the two-week programme and to learn more about insurance and the London Market. You should come away from the day with the information you need to decide if you wish to proceed in the application process.
The Get Into Insurance Programme is unpaid but reasonable travel will be covered. You can speak to your Prince’s Trust contact for more information.
Your time will be split between a variety of activities all designed to meet the programme objectives. You will find yourself in training sessions, working in teams on a project, shadowing employees on-the-job, and meeting people from across the industry. We will also arrange visits to other companies in the London Market, giving you an opportunity to network and learn more about the roles and opportunities available in insurance.
There is no guarantee of a job after the programme, but support is available to help reach your goals, and we will provide access to a network of employers in the insurance industry who are actively seeking fresh, young talent.
There is a strong earning potential in insurance, as well as a wide variety of jobs. This inevitably means that salaries vary enormously within the sector and that experience and qualification, as well as the company size and location, all play a part. As examples, in London, a broker’s base salary might range from £19k to £62k and a marketing executive might expect to earn £23k - £34k.
Insurance offers hard working people a challenging, long-term career. It offers the opportunity to achieve valuable and globally recognised professional qualifications and to play an influential role in one of the UK’s most important sectors.
It is difficult to outline a typical career progression because being such a large and diverse market means there is huge scope to develop and change to different areas, as experience increases.
To begin with, companies seek people who are keen to learn and develop their skills. We are looking for people with the right attitude rather than a particular set of knowledge. From there, workplace appraisals, continuous development and various professional qualifications will determine your career path, travel opportunities and financial rewards.
We would like to welcome 13 young people on this programme.
We make every effort to help people with particular needs to join the programme. When you get in touch, let us know what requirements you have and we will let you know how we can help.
Insurance is a heavily regulated industry so it is likely that this will pose a problem. We will need some more information to answer this question. Get in touch to find out how we can help you.
No, the most important thing is attitude and behaviour. Beyond the programme, some roles in the industry do require qualifications, but we can help you understand what is needed and how you can achieve your goals.
The two-week programme does not confer a qualification but you will get a certificate of participation to demonstrate your understanding of specific areas of insurance and the London Market.
You will be in a professional office environment where the dress code is business professional. You do not need to buy a suit for this programme but please dress smartly and avoid jeans, t-shirts, trainers and revealing clothing.
We will communicate this once your place is confirmed. A normal day would be 9am-5pm.
Why come to Howden?
I’m also studying Digital and Technology Solutions at the University of East London, and am the course representative for the entire apprentice course at Howden. I hope to be very successful within the IT industry and I truly believe that Howden Group can make that possible.
I started in Howden Iberia in the Barcelona office five years ago and have had a great Howden journey. I feel the company has offered me real progression. My manager supported me from day one, and the biggest highlight so far has been the opportunity to move to London to work for the international marketing team. It’s cold and wet here, but the experience is invaluable!
It is a spectacular opportunity to be doing an apprenticeship at Howden. The valuable learnings at Howden are far more than at university, because in the workplace I am working in a team, on a project, building a report to update management regularly, and regularly reading to develop my understanding.
I work in the Corporate Real Estate Services (CRES) team. What I love is the interaction with people and that I am not always at my desk. We’re involved in everything from security to building maintenance, mailroom to records management, and no two days are the same. Insurance is a fun industry to work in, I’ve already been here since 2015!
With The King's Trust
We’re running this programme with The King's Trust as part of our wider strategic partnership. Our target is to support over 3,300 young people at risk of exclusion, who need help to succeed in education, and to assist over 400 new young entrepreneurs as they embark on their self-employment journey.
In addition to this target, the Get Into Insurance Programme will help create a pathway for young talent who may not have previously considered a career in the sector.
The King's Trust works with partners around the world to deliver education, employment and enterprise programmes that empower young people to learn, work and thrive.
With LIIBA
We’re working with LIIBA – The London & International Insurance Brokers’ Association – to help promote the insurance industry to a more diverse audience.
LIIBA is the trade association that represents the interests of Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance brokers. Howden is a proud member, and together we’re delivering the Get Into Insurance Programme to highlight the huge number of opportunities in the London Market, with the ultimate ambition of creating a more diverse and inclusive market.
Keen to understand more about insurance before you start?
There are many places online to find out more:
First find out more about what Howden does – Broking and Underwriting.
Then visit the Lloyd’s of London website to read about where insurance began.
Lastly, there’s lots to learn if you’re new to the industry from London Insurance Life.