The shrinking insurance workforce was a topic addressed at the recent Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) Claims Conference and Insurance Services Expo in Anaheim, Calif. In a presentation on attracting, retaining and engaging claims talent, Shameem Awan, assistant vice president for Amica Mutual Insurance Company's corporate office, and Matt Higgins, a senior claims supervisor for Amica, offered some recommendations for insurers on how to find and keep good employees.

They examined the reasons why someone would want to work in the insurance industry such as flexible hours, job security and the opportunities for advancement, but said one of the major reasons many millennials don't choose insurance as a career is because of its perceived image. In addition, high school and college students seem to have a limited understanding of the employment opportunities available in the insurance field.

Some colleges are offering risk management both as an elective and a major; allowing students to see first-hand what a career in insurance can really offer them. “Students take risk management as an elective and change their major,” shared Jenny Atkinson, a professor at the University of Georgia. Students are seeing a 95% job placement ratio after graduation. They love focusing on the client and see the work as challenging. “They feel like they're making a difference,” she added. Some of the colleges offering risk management programs include Florida State University; California State, Fullerton; and Illinois State University.