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Still unsure about what career path to take? Want to switch to a better, more rewarding job? Here are ten reasons you should consider an insurance apprenticeship.

If you find yourself at a crossroads in your career, a general degree may seem like a logical choice. However, this often means years of intense study, financial strain, and uncertain job prospects. To avoid accumulating student debt and gain practical experience, many are seeking alternative paths. Luckily, the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship programme offers a solution. In partnership with ATU Sligo and LIA, The Insurance Institute has created a unique programme that allows you to study for a level 8 degree while earning money and building a career in the insurance industry. This is the first apprenticeship of its kind, offering a three-year path to a prestigious qualification.

Whether you are a fan or not, you would have to have been living on Mars to have not heard the buzz about the latest Game of Thrones (or GoT to its fans) prequel, House of the Dragon. The new HBO Max fantasy drama launches on August 21, 2022, so we thought we would take a llook at what the original, Game of Thrones series taught us about insurance.

For most school-leavers, going to college is the natural next step after the Leaving Cert. However, with the cost of living concerns mounting amongst students and parents, some are questioning whether going to college is an affordable option.

 The Insurance Apprenticeship is an earn-and-learn degree programme where participants work in an insurance organisation while studying online one day a week. But what does an apprentice actually do?

Last year, The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, outlined its Action Plan for Apprenticeship – a five-year plan which seeks to deliver a modern apprenticeship system that is reflective of Irish society and supports both learners and employers. As part of this, a new National Apprenticeship Office has been set up, so we interviewed Dr. Mary Liz Trant, its Director about the new office, her plans for the year ahead and what she expects the apprenticeship landscape might look like in the next five years.

Commitment and leadership are required in equal measure if you are to be an apprentice employer. It takes the dedication of an entire organisation to make the apprenticeship programme work well, but of course, there is one role that is the most significant – and that’s the apprentice’s Supervisor.

At The Insurance Institute, we place an enormous value on recognition and we feel it’s hugely important to recognise and celebrate achievements.

The Apprenticeship Recognition Awards is one such example of this. The awards, which place every December, are devoted to celebrating success amongst apprentice graduates, but also employers – particularly Supervisors who have gone over and above what’s required and who have had a significant impact on the apprentices and their development.

Chloe Davis says that no two days are ever the same and as an Insurance Practitioner Apprentice, she loves the variety her job with Hegarty Financial Management provides – here she tells us more about what being an apprentice is like and what her typical day at the office consists of.

Apprenticeships are a hot topic at the minute and if you're considering applying for one, there are a few key points you should know. Here are some of the frequently asked questions we've been receiving since the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship launched in 2016.

Are you considering applying for the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship programme? These are the steps you’ll need to take.