The graduates

Brokerage Interlink says its trainee academy is breaking new ground in insurance education

By Miranda Maxwell

Perth broker Tryan Christos believes the insurance industry is underselling itself to prospective employees, and he is doing something unique to fix it. The managing director at Interlink Insurance Brokers has pioneered a three-month graduate academy program to fill a training void, and the first cohort of five trainees has just finished the curriculum.

“We pushed their limits every single day. From getting up and talking in front of the whole office to presenting renewal terms to our qualified brokers, they’ve constantly been challenged,” Mr Christos tells Insurance News.

“Everyone I’ve told has said the same thing: ‘I wish I had this when I started.’ Because in the insurance industry, people are just kind of put in a position and left to their own devices.

“The academy is unique. These young graduates have 250 to 300 hours of learning before they even touch anything … It gives them a really good grounding in a very controlled environment for when they do get real-world experience, basically setting them up for success.

We’re not doing enough as an industry, and if we can do it, everyone can.”

The detailed regimen was devised by compliance and training manager Nastasiya Dromgool, who persuaded more than 20 underwriters, agencies, solicitors, adjusters and broader industry experts to give their time in support.

The curriculum starts with seven weeks of classroom training, detailing various insurance products and covers, the “customer journey cycle” and role-playing.

The students then rotate through Interlink’s different broking teams. Day one started with an insurance quiz.

“They ran around the office and were asking questions of senior account brokers. They do not have KPIs, they do not need to fetch coffee or refill the paper in the printer – our graduates are paid to learn,” Ms Dromgool says.

“In the past few years, it’s been very hard to find the right people and motivate them to want to be in the industry, and the idea came up to do a full insurance academy.

“If you give an opportunity for younger people to see the broader aspects, they are more likely to stay. They want to stay in the insurance industry because we managed to show them how interesting it actually gets.

“You do need someone who is driving that learning journey for people, motivating them and showing what’s available and what’s out there.”

Practical rotations include handling client renewals, policy endorsements and claims lodgement, processing new business quotes and underwriter submissions, and attending client meetings and learning negotiation skills.

“They’re role-playing a lot of that, and then they are placed into the broking team to actually work on real clients with real brokers, doing real work and processing,” Ms Dromgool says.

“It takes time, money and a lot of organising, but as an ageing industry, we have no choice but to invest in the younger talent.”

Interlink is committed to a culture of continuous learning, and Ms Dromgool says the team is keen to partner with “industry titans” to create an online graduate program in insurance broking, making up for a gap at universities or other tertiary education providers.

The course would incorporate compliance requirement qualifications, insurance product knowledge, customer service, phone calls and client meetings, and the risk management requirements of industries key to Australia’s economy.

“Most of the time people are expected to learn on the job,” Ms Dromgool says.

“A lot of people either fall into the industry or come from other finance-related backgrounds. Most people in the industry are not even expected to do a diploma until they are well into their career, and it does not give enough practical knowledge. We would love to see the change around it.”

Interlink says the academy would not have been possible without “incredible support” from insurers, underwriters, lawyers and other specialists.

“It was beyond expectations and we’re so grateful,” Mr Christos says. “We need to develop new talent in order for the industry in general to succeed.

“It becomes more productive if we have educated brokers and we’re thrilled to see such bright, driven young people step into the insurance industry.”

He says he has a “strong passion for elevating people and finding talent”, adding: “In my history of bringing on young people, some people just aren’t  interested. But I feel we’ve done it differently this time, and the plan is to do it non-stop.”

‘Like family’: meet the alumni

Academy graduate Sam Pollard says Interlink has provided a rare opportunity in broking.

“They give you all the support you need when entering the industry, being able to join the brokerage teams and seeing how they work and gaining that hands-on experience. They really take pride in the work, and they want to support us in the best way possible.”

School-leaver Charlotte Vinson looks forward to working with Interlink’s broking and claims teams after finishing the academy. “Interlink is an incredibly supportive work environment. If I need anything or have any questions, there’s always somebody to help.”

Fellow graduate Benjamin Brooks was impressed by the unique training. “They’re committed to improving the industry at large … It feels like a family, there’s a very jovial kind of relationship between everyone.”

Engineering graduate Kenny Tran says Interlink’s culture of striving for excellence is inspiring. “This became very clear after seeing Tryan … Having that level of professionalism makes me very excited to join the team.”

Tom Marchant feels ready to serve as an insurance broker after graduating. “I’m looking forward to getting into the hands-on stuff so I can showcase everything that we’ve learnt within the program.”