The CII's 'talent taskforce' is to create a web-based insurance 'careers centre' in a bid to tackle the industry's recruitment crisis.
The move will be the lynchpin of the CII's major initiative to address the problem of attracting and retaining the best candidates into the insurance industry from schools and universities, as revealed by Insurance Times last year (News 27 October).
Although the details have yet to be finalised, the careers centre or 'toolkit' will provide information on among other things the range of job opportunities available in insurance.
The aim will be to provide a "coherent insurance careers brand", according to the CII.
CII marketing director, Steve Wellard, said: "There is a need for an insurance careers package that companies can use with their own marketing methods. It would be targeted at school leavers, graduates and made available to careers services."
Wellard said the CII's talent taskforce working group, headed by Allianz Cornhill Commercial general manager Chris Hanks, would now be working on what the package will contain and how it will be delivered.
"It will have to be interactive, accessible and web based. We need to work out best method of delivery - it could also include DVDs," said Wellard."
Hanks added: "The industry does not have a single image to put forward to students to capture their imaginations. Individual companies can't do this."
It is intended that the toolkit will be available by September.
Anne-Marie Martin, director of the Careers Group for the University of London said: "Over the years, the public perception of the insurance industry has suffered.
"This initiative has to be welcomed, if it helps graduates find out more about the sector and make the right career choices."
' Talent will be high on the agenda at the CII conference which is to be held in Glasgow from 4-6 October. It will feature a session chaired by Allianz Cornhill's Chris Hanks on the challenges faced by the industry in attracting 'fresh blood'.
The CII aims to attract a senior Scottish Government minister to speak at the conference on the advantages of working in Scotland.
