Several years ago, Canada’s broker associations started consulting about how to refresh their Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) certification program.
Then the pandemic hit.
“And then we [as brokers], like the rest of our society, needed to adjust through the pandemic,” recalls Peter Braid, CEO of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC). And now, post-pandemic, he adds, “today’s insurance broker is tech-savvy and continuously on the go, so we’re meeting them where they are — and that’s online.”
IBAC has just introduced its new-look, digitized broker certification program dubbed, “CAIB New Edition 1.0.”
It’s a refreshed version of the CAIB program, first established in 1985. Now in four volumes, CAIB 1 teaches brokers about general insurance principles, including home and auto insurance. CAIB volumes 2 and 3 teach brokers about commercial insurance and commercial insurance liability, respectively. And CAIB 4 teaches brokers the principles of managing a brokerage.
“CAIB New Edition 1.0 is not just a new revision, it’s really a transformation of the program,” Braid tells Canadian Underwriter. “We’re very proud with where we’ve landed.”
At the heart of the transformation, brokers have three new ways to learn in the program.
“Now we have a very significantly enhanced textbook, and we have two other new, modern modalities of learning as well,” Braid says. “We have a digital, online version, through a learning management system, and we also have an e-book. So, a student can choose one or a combination of these three modalities that best suits their learning style.”
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Course material has been revamped to include relevant and practical examples of real-life situations brokers experience with their clients every day.
“There are new chapters on cyber and cyber insurance, for example, the sharing economy, and the prevalence of ride-sharing services such as Uber,” Braid says. “An important part of the broker role now is to help clients understand the impacts of world events, and the impacts of severe weather events on their clients’ need for the proper protection.”
Plus, state-of-the-art instructional design and interactive features are incorporated to increase a learner’s engagement.
“In the online and digital versions, the learning approach is very interactive,” Braid says. “So you’re in a post-chapter quiz, you may have four boxes you can select from. You’ll select one out of the four, and then platform will indicate whether it’s the correct or incorrect answer. So, you’re more immersed in the learning process.”
A new online exam process can be proctored in person, as well as virtually. To maintain security in an AI world, state-of-the-art online technology prevents cheating and maintains the integrity of the certification program.
CAIB New Edition 1.0 is governed nationally by IBAC and delivered exclusively through IBAC’s provincial member broker associations. The course is now rolling out across the country and available in both official languages.
The Insurance Brokers Association of B.C. (IBABC) piloted the new program last fall, and the early returns suggest learners are better retaining the information in the new course format.
“The feedback from the IBABC pilot through the fall was very positive, and it was a very, very successful pilot,” Braid says. “Students are telling us that they’re really learning the material now, not just memorizing it.”
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