Help Wanted: Identify Skills Gaps in Region’s Insurance Industry

SARASOTA, FL (July 17, 2018) – The CareerEdge Funders Collaborative is putting up a “help wanted” sign for local insurance companies: Help us identify the jobs and skills you need to grow your organization.

“A shortage of talent is one of the biggest impediments to growth in the insurance industry. We face a significant skills gap and are preparing to meet this business need. Deliberate action must be taken to recruit, retain and develop employees who can successfully execute against an organization’s strategy and vision. Insurers, like FCCI, are ready to tackle this challenge. A skills gap study will highlight the insurance industry’s talent demands so our region and its workforce can thrive,” said Lisa Krouse, Board member, EVP, Chief HR and Communications Officer at FCCI

The Insurance Skills Gap Study will contain data retrieved from employer roundtables and telephone interviews with local insurance industry leaders.  Training resources available in the region will be compared to the feedback and needs that employers mention in these interviews. The goal is to identify whether training currently exists and, if not, what must be changed or added by training partners to help insurance companies fill the skill gap, hire employees, and grow their companies. The survey is being conducted by Stephanie Kempton of Kempton Research and Planning.

In 2012 CareerEdge spearheaded a similar skills gap study for the manufacturing industry and it dramatically altered how our community understood the needs of those employers.  We now see that same potential in the insurance industry which, in the aggregate, produces a significant number of local jobs.  This new study will be the perfect stepping stone to support those employers by better understanding their needs,” explains Kevin Cooper, CEO and President of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative joined The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce earlier this year to expand workforce development initiatives like this to more industries.

CareerEdge Needs Assistance from Employers:

Commitment and participation from local employers during the research phase of this project is crucial and can lead to eye opening results.  CareerEdge requests that local organizations who are interested in joining this discussion should contact, Lauren Meyer, CareerEdge Program Coordinator, LMeyer@SarasotaChamber.com for further information.