Insurance Recruitment: Cut Training Times to 9 Months, Says Wiser Academy

The latest from the Wiser Academy, who want to speed up apprenticeship training times, so that new starters can enter the world of insurance that bit sooner.

Wiser Academy, the award-winning provider of insurance training and development, today calls on the Government to slash apprenticeship duration times to tackle the growing insurance skills gap. The Government’s recent Budget allocated £40m to support foundation and shorter level one apprenticeships. However, insurance apprenticeships start at levels two and three, and run for a minimum period of 15 months.

Crescens George, CEO of Wiser Academy, said that cutting these higher-level apprenticeships down to nine months would lead to a surge in applicants.

“The current 15-month minimum duration for apprenticeships has been a longstanding barrier, especially for higher-level qualifications like the Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII), which begins at level three,” Crescens said. “I speak with apprentices every day who say the current length is unnecessary. Reducing this period to nine months would encourage more applicants, improve completion rates, and enable us to close the skills gap far more rapidly.”

The insurance industry is a vital component of the UK economy, underpinning a wide range of sectors, and contributing around £18.5bn in taxes to the government. Yet, the sector is struggling to attract new talent and upskill its current workforce.

According to Skills England’s Occupations in Demand analysis for 2024, more than two thirds of roles within the sector have a high or critical demand for workers, including positions such as underwriters and sales account managers.

“These figures don’t surprise us,” Cres said. “We set up our Account Executive Academy to tackle just this issue, long before it was ever raised by Government. Demand for it is huge, reflecting the size of the problem. Insurers need to know that all their staff are properly trained, in both technical and behavioural skills.”

And the problem is growing. All insurers experienced skills shortages in 2023, compared to 85% the year before, according to the Hays Salary & Recruiting Trends 2023.

With these roles essential to maintaining the resilience and competitiveness of the UK economy, more targeted reforms are urgently needed to widen access to meaningful qualifications at all levels.

Crescens said: “A year-long apprenticeship programme discourages aspiring professionals and increases dropout rates. The extended timeframe also delays their career progression unnecessarily.

“A shorter duration would be better for Government as it would save them money, it would be better for industry who get qualified professionals more quickly, and it would be better for the apprentices, who get to start their career journey sooner. It is a big lever that the Government could pull, and they have missed the opportunity to do so in this budget, but we would urge them to revisit this area.”

Crescens added that closing the skills gap calls for more than traditional CII qualifications alone.

He said: “While these qualifications build foundational knowledge, they leave a considerable gap in practical skills and professional behaviours. Technical expertise is essential, but it’s only part of what’s needed. Skills in communication, negotiation, and client management – along with an understanding of the industry’s behavioural standards – are equally critical.”