The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) has released their revamped licensing course with a new hybrid classroom, textbook, brand and microsite. Previously called Basic Broker RIBO Level I Licensing, the course now has its own standalone brand, Broker Launchpad.
“When someone makes the decision to become a broker, our licensing course is that crucial first step along their career path, which we’ve rebranded as Broker Launchpad to reflect their new professional trajectory,” said IBAO Chief Operating Officer Brett Boadway. “All components of this revamped course should increase the attraction of becoming an insurance broker—a beneficial step in the channel’s recruitment efforts.”
Broker Launchpad gives prospective brokers new choices designed to accommodate their schedules, learning preferences and personal situations. Learners can choose between weekday or weekend sessions, participating in-person or virtually, choosing a textbook or eBook, and writing an in-person or online exam.
“When the pandemic started, we quickly pivoted to be able to offer our in-person Licensing and CAIB classes virtually,” said IBAO CEO Colin Simpson. “From that experience, we learned how we could be doing things differently to make our education opportunities more accessible to brokers across the province. We’ve invested in technology that turns our classroom into a studio to broadcast in-person classes to students learning virtually at the same time. Hybrid classrooms are the future—they’re a seamless experience for everyone involved.”
The IBAO consulted a panel of esteemed brokers and insurance educators to oversee a complete rewrite of the textbook to ensure it’s the most up-to-date course material available today. Starting in October, this new textbook will be available as a hardcopy or an eBook, or both—giving the learner further opportunity to customize their experience to suit their learning preferences.
Broker Launchpad is the latest release in IBAO’s push to advance broker education in Ontario in addition to these major releases:
- New Broker Essentials—transitioning newly licensed brokers to the practical day-to-day of a broker. The course features an option to help managers develop in-house training programs. IBAO Members who send their new hires to our Broker Launchpad course receive New Broker Essentials as a free add-on.
- Commercial Lines Certificate—training Personal Lines brokers to work in Commercial Lines.
- A redesigned eLearning Library—offering timely and relevant continuing education courses to brokers of all levels, free to IBAO Members including Ethics training.
“We’ve always delivered quality broker education, whether that’s training newcomers to meet our industry’s high standard or offering professional development opportunities to brokers throughout their career,” said Simpson. “But over the past two years we’ve completely redesigned our programs and delivery options to meet the education needs of all Ontario brokers while returning significant value to our members.”
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