BMCC Is Education Provider for Apprenticeship Program With Zurich North America

Zurich North America, a leading provider of insurance products and services to businesses and individuals, is expanding its professional apprenticeship program from its Chicagoland headquarters to its downtown New York City office this fall, with Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) as the education provider.

Zurich’s earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship program, launched at its Schaumburg headquarters in 2016, is designed to attract diverse talent to the insurance industry while providing a debt-free path to a professional career. Zurich apprentices include high school graduates or those with an equivalent certification, veterans of the armed forces, people wanting to move from a job to a career, those returning to the workforce after a hiatus for family reasons, and others attracted by the prospect of a guaranteed job and promotion upon successful completion of the two-year program.

The New York expansion will contribute to Zurich’s largest cohort of apprentices yet.

“We’re proud to bring the Zurich Apprenticeship Program to New York, particularly at a time when many people are looking for new opportunities and signs of a brighter future,” said Paul Horgan, Zurich’s Head of U.S. Commercial Insurance. “Even with the challenges brought by COVID-19, we found a way to move forward with this expansion because Zurich’s apprenticeship program has proven its value to our business and our industry.”

In August, the inaugural New York cohort of Zurich apprentices will begin orientation and onboarding. From there, they will work on the job three days a week and take BMCC courses two days a week. Apprentices earn a full-time salary and benefits, including health insurance and 401(k) matching, and they pay no tuition.

“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Zurich to offer this terrific opportunity for the college, our faculty, and most important, our students,” said BMCC Acting Provost Erwin Wong. “We are continuously looking for means to partner with the global business community to offer our students preparation for and access to in-demand 21st century positions, particularly opportunities in the tri-state area. The apprenticeship program that Zurich offers will be of immense value to our students in terms of their marketability.”

New York apprentices will be working toward certifications in General Insurance and an Associate in Applied Science in Business Management.

In 2020 Zurich is adding an Information Technology apprenticeship at its Schaumburg headquarters for the first time, alongside the General Insurance and Cyber apprenticeships.

Zurich’s was the first insurance apprenticeship program to be certified by the Department of Labor, and Zurich was a founding member of the Chicago Apprentice Network with Aon and Accenture. Zurich’s New York extension of apprenticeship also establishes the first new site under the Insurance Apprenticeship USA (IAUSA) banner, an industry collaboration to expand apprenticeships, led by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

Earlier this year, Zurich’s New York office participated in the city’s first-ever Career Discovery Week, hosting students from the Laboratory School of Finance and Technology in the Bronx. Zurich also has a summer leadership program for students from Leadership & Public Service High School, near Zurich’s Manhattan office.

For more details or to apply, please visit the Zurich Apprenticeship Program.