Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • February 12, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 17 Fellow apprentice Alexis Martin, 22, also plans to work full-time there after apprenticing and graduating with a management degree. "Overall, it's a great career oppor- tunity and I think that future appren- tices could benefit from this as well," Martin said. Adia Copper, 25, who's studying business management, said the ap- prenticeship is preparing her to hit the ground running at The Harford, where she intends to seek full-time work. She also values the connections she's getting with long- time employees at The Hartford. "I feel like they want to help us in the best possible way," Copper said. "I can definitely see myself work- ing long term for the company." Mutual benefits Capital Com- munity College President Wil- fredo Nieves said the college has begun recruit- ing students for the next appren- ticeship, saying the program is working well as students earn while they learn. Also, key for students, Nieves said: mentors interested in them and vali- dating them. The benefits run both ways, he said. "The good thing for The Hartford, they also get the opportunity to evalu- ate an individual who they've trained," Nieves said. "I can't understate the val- ue of loyalty that's developed between the student and the organization." The program includes 61 credit hours of college coursework and 2,400 hours of on-the-job training at The Hartford, with a curriculum that includes insur- ance-specific topics. Graduates will earn registered apprenticeship credentials certifying their proficiency. The program includes the Con- necticut Department of Labor, Arizona Department of Economic Security and is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, which provides tuition assis- tance through its American Appren- ticeship Grant Initiative. The Hartford's Kinney said CCC has done well to align curriculums with needed skill sets. Myriad partnerships The Hartford isn't the only insurer CCC partners with — others include Travelers Cos. and The Guardian Life Insurance of America, Nieves said. In 2007, Trav- elers began a program in part- nership with CCC now known as Capital's Career Advancement Program and is the model used for the Travelers EDGE (Empower- ing Dreams for Graduation and Employment) program. Travelers EDGE is a school-to-career pipeline to increase access to higher education for underrepresented stu- dents and highlight careers in insur- ance and financial services, the com- pany said. The Career Advancement Program feeds Travelers EDGE and supports other area employers. Capital Com- munity College students in the career advancement course must take business-related majors and a full-year internship at Travelers. In addition to an internship, Travelers provides stu- dents with a financial stipend, men- tors and professional development opportunities, the company said. Once students graduate with an associate degree, those interested in pursuing a career at Travelers or in another related industry can continue with the Travelers EDGE program if they pursue a bachelor's degree at UConn or Central Connecticut State University. Travelers then continues to provide financial assistance, men- tors, internships, job-shadowing experiences and professional development workshops. Many partici- pants then apply for full-time posi- tions at Travelers after graduation, the company said. Since 2007, Travelers Edge has provided more than $23 million in finan- cial support to schools and com- munity organiza- tions, provided 443 undergradu- ate students with a scholarship or stipend, placed 206 students in Travelers internships and helped 62 land full-time jobs at Travelers, the company reported. Travelers EDGE graduates work in departments that include actuarial, claim, underwriting and operations to IT, finance, legal and marketing. The Guardian Life Insurance of America, meanwhile, created a person- al finance center for students at CCC that includes a tech lab for financial coaching, workshops on budgeting, best practices in paying for college, credit and debt management, retire- ment and investment planning and free tax-filing assistance. Guardian also covers fees, books and materials for students enrolled in the Money Management for Life course focusing on personal finance and of- fering full-time paid internships for students who complete the course. Self-sustaining pipeline At The Hart- ford, building a self-sustaining pipeline of di- verse talent was also among the apprenticeship program's goals, Kinney said. "Everyone's fighting for that talent, and this to me is a way to go get that talent at inception, when I know it's a very competitive mar- ket," Kinney said. As the appren- tices become full- time employees, they also qualify for tuition re- imbursement to get four-year and graduate degrees, if they wish, further benefiting the company over time, he said. Apprentice Mejia said it's been rewarding helping customers. One group, especially, stood out. When Hurricane Irma hit Florida in September, the apprentices helped take policyholders' calls. "It was a good experience helping those people down there," Mejia said. BY THE NUMBERS CT's insurance industry 56,890 Estimated number of insurance workers in Connecticut as of the first quarter of 2017. $70,957 The median wage of an insurance com- pany employee in the state. $85,466 The average wage of an insurance com- pany employee in the state. $43,404 The average wage of an entry-level insur- ance company worker in Connecticut. Hartford's Capital Community College (left) has become a breeding ground for insurance industry recruits like Alexis Martin (right), an apprentice at The Hartford. "These kids, they've gone farther than some of their peers to get to where they've gotten to. They've persevered through stuff that others have not, and I love that profile because you throw them into a training environment and they work hard, they're smart as hell and frankly, they're great at problem-solving." John Kinney , chief claims officer at The Hartford." PHOTO | HBJ FILE HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER

• Cover