NIBA will introduce a young professionals program at its annual convention in October – marking the first time in the event’s history that a dedicated track has been built for early-career brokers – as new industry data shows that age group accounts for just 11% of the Australian general insurance broking workforce, the smallest share of any cohort. The 2026 NIBA Convention runs from Oct. 18 to 20 at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.
NIBA’s June research report, Data to Direction: Insights from the General Insurance Broking Profession, found that brokers aged 18 to 29 represent the same share of the profession as those aged 60 and over – both at 11%. The two largest cohorts are brokers aged 40 to 49 (31%) and 30 to 39 (28%), with a workforce median age of 44.
NIBA CEO Richard Klipin cited that data as the basis for the new stream. “NIBA’s Data to Direction research notes the depth of talent already shaping our profession’s future. There is an opportunity to grow the pipeline of brokers aged 18 to 29. We’re delighted to invest in a curated pathway for the next generation to connect, learn, and grow,” Klipin said.
Rather than a single event, the young professionals stream is built around two substantive professional development areas – how brokers communicate and demonstrate their value to clients, and how individual brokers build a professional reputation with both clients and insurers over time – delivered across three formats on consecutive days.
A Sunday evening gathering for first-time convention attendees will allow delegates to meet NIBA committee members before the formal program opens. A Monday morning masterclass, facilitated by past NIBA Young Broker of the Year award winners, will run before the main program begins. Monday evening closes with a networking event pairing early-career brokers with more senior figures from across the industry. Dedicated breakout sessions during the main program will deliver the professional development content.
The stream is designed to connect, challenge, and develop early-career brokers across different settings – structured learning, peer networking, and access to the profession’s senior ranks – rather than through a single standalone event.
NIBA president Nick Cook pointed to the convention itself as a significant part of the offer. “Young professionals bring fresh thinking, genuine curiosity, and a willingness to challenge how things are done. That’s exactly what a profession needs to be future ready. The NIBA Convention is the flagship event in the broking calendar and a unique opportunity for emerging brokers to engage with the best of our profession,” Cook said.
The timing of the initiative reflects conditions across the broader broking market. Data to Direction – based on responses from 418 brokers across Australia alongside APRA data and international benchmarks – notes that ongoing consolidation has seen firms actively acquiring entire teams to secure both capability and client relationships. With 85% of brokerages surveyed reporting what the report describes as growth or opportunistic growth strategies, and early-career brokers making up just 11% of the profession, the demand for entry-level talent is a structural issue as much as a cyclical one.
The profession’s entry pattern reinforces that reading. Data to Direction describes the age distribution as indicative of a sector where brokers tend to enter at a mid-career stage, with the report noting the pattern points to limited early-career pathways or delayed entry. Whether the young professionals program represents an attempt to shift that pattern – bringing brokers into the profession earlier – or to deepen engagement with those already in it, the initiative addresses a gap the association’s own data has now quantified.
In FY25, brokers handled $35.6 billion in intermediated gross written premiums (GWP), representing 46% of all general insurance written in Australia – a volume of business that currently rests on a workforce where new entrants make up just over one in 10.
The young professionals stream forms part of a broader convention program organised around the theme “Future Ready,” which will examine what lies ahead for the broking profession through keynote presentations and breakout sessions on the forces expected to shape the industry in the decade ahead. For a profession managing nearly half of Australia’s general insurance market, the pipeline question sits at the centre of that agenda.
