Business News: The Hartford, ISO, Alliant

The Hartford has partnered with the Connecticut Department of Labor, Arizona Department of Economic Security and local community colleges to launch an insurance apprenticeship program. The program will offer an insurance-specific curriculum, paid on-the-job training and mentoring to equip students for key customer-facing roles in The Hartford’s claims operation. The program is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, which provides tuition assistance for participating students through its American Apprenticeship Grant Initiative.

The Hartford is launching the program in partnership with Capital Community College in Hartford and Rio Salado College in metro Phoenix, with classes beginning in June. Students completing the two-year program will be eligible for full-time employment with The Hartford, in addition to earning their associate’s degree from their respective college. Through these partnerships and others in development, The Hartford plans to onboard 200 apprentices by 2020.

Students will complete 61 credit hours of college coursework and 2,400 hours of paid on-the-job-training at The Hartford claims center in Windsor, Conn. or Phoenix. The curriculum includes courses in insurance-specific topics as well as critical thinking, business analytics and communications to help prepare students for future leadership roles. Graduates will earn registered apprenticeship credentials certifying their occupational proficiency, and when they become full-time employees of The Hartford, they will be eligible for additional tuition reimbursement to complete their bachelor’s degree.

More information about The Hartford’s insurance apprenticeship program is available at https://www.thehartford.com/apprentice.

ISO, a Verisk Analytics business, announced the launch of ISO Market Landscape, an interactive dashboard that allows insurance professionals across disciplines to visualize and benchmark their company’s results with one of the largest property/casualty insurance databases in the world.

ISO Market Landscape uses data visualization to benchmark insurer performance and identify specific segments and geographies with growth potential. Insurers can see where they are potentially underperforming or suffering from adverse selection and help find areas where they might expand their underwriting appetite.

The product is currently available for five lines of business: businessowners, commercial auto, commercial property, general liability, and homeowners. Visit www.verisk.com/iso/marketlandscape for more information.

Calif.-based Alliant Insurance Services has combined its portfolio of industry-focused specialty insurance practices under one banner, forming Alliant Specialty Group. The new structure creates a large and diverse national specialty insurance operations. Alliant Specialty Group will be led by Peter Arkley of the company’s Construction Services Group.

The Alliant Specialty Group will feature the following leadership team:

• Peter Arkley, President, Alliant Specialty Group
• Richard Ferrucci, Vice Chairman, Alliant Specialty Group
• Jeff Moench, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Alliant Specialty Group
• Michael Cusack, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Alliant Specialty Group
• John Ludwig, Senior Managing Director, Alliant Specialty Group