Ohio Insurance Institute Becomes First U.S. Entity To Be Recognized For Its Efforts In Promoting Careers In Insurance

MADRID, June 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- OII is the first U.S. organization to receive a Fundación MAPFRE Award, which recognize individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to society. The jury valued this novel initiative for its transferability to other countries and regions and for its contribution to tackling two of the main challenges that the insurance industry faces in Ohio: to cover 26,000 job openings in four years and to guarantee the good health of the sector in a state that currently employs 100,000 people in this industry, where over 250 companies operate.

"We believe that to effectuate change and inspire others to join the burgeoning career field within the insurance industry, one must educate job seekers on the key tenets of how insurance is more than simply numbers on a sheet of paper, but a safeguard that truly helps people during what is often one of the most difficult experiences they will encounter," explained Jeff Anthony, Director of Government Relations with the Ohio Insurance Institute, today at Fundación MAPFRE's 2015 Awards presented by Her Majesty Queen Sofía.

"With Ohio's insurance industry facing an increasing demand to fill over 26,000 jobs by 2020, we are aware of the challenge and excited about the opportunity to educate and inspire the next generation on the great opportunities within the industry," Mr. Anthony said, accepting the award, which includes a prize of 30,000 euros. 

OII's Insurance Careers website was developed as the result of Ohio Governor John Kasich convening a CEO Insurance Education Taskforce in 2011 to examine current and future workforce needs of one of Ohio's largest employment and economic contributors: insurance. Ohio ranks seventh in the U.S. in insurance industry employment with a workforce of over 100,000.

"Because of OII's long-standing commitment to educating youth on insurance and safety matters, an insurance careers initiative was a natural extension for our association," said Dan Kelso, OII President and representative on the Governor's Insurance Education Taskforce.

The purpose of the site is to serve as a clearinghouse for information on careers and to promote the variety of career opportunities in Ohio's insurance industry. It includes interactive tools such as a careers survey that translates site visitor's skills, interests and goals into possible insurance career paths; 30 featured insurance careers that include information on duties, educational requirements, career perspectives and salary information; career videos that feature insurance professionals sharing their advice, experiences and insights from within the industry, and the Ask a Pro program that connects job seekers with an insurance industry professional that serves as a personal resource on career strategies and development.

The awards ceremony was also attended by Mr. Íñigo Méndez de Vigo y Montojo, Minister for Education, Culture and Sport, and Antonio Huertas, President of Fundación MAPFRE. Leading figures from the social, cultural, political and business world also attended the event.

For more information: www.salaprensa.fundacionmapfre.org

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For more information, please contact Nuria del Olmo and Alejandra Fernández in the MAPFRE Corporate Communication Division. 
Tel: +34 91 581 22 16, +34 606 53 78 89 and +34 91 581 84 64. 
Email: [email protected]; [email protected] 

SOURCE MAPFRE