The Insurance Institute of Canada (IIC) will host its annual Insurance Take Our Kids to Work Day on Wednesday, November 4, inviting P&C professionals to introduce Grade 9 students to the industry at a time when it faces a growing talent gap.
Run by the Institute’s Insurance Career Connections division, the program gives students a chance to see what parents, guardians and colleagues do at work.
“Insurance Take Our Kids to Work Day aims to inspire Grade 9 students to explore the possibilities and educational pathways that can be taken, should they wish to pursue a career in insurance,” said Beverly Lewis-Hunte, senior program officer at Insurance Career Connections.
The day runs virtually on Zoom from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET, with live and pre-recorded sessions so schools and companies across time zones can take part. The program includes an industry panel, career trivia, Ask Me Anything chats with professionals, risk and claims scenarios, and sessions on writing a first resume and preparing for an interview. Participating organizations can register through Insurance Career Connections.
The event comes as the industry grapples with an aging workforce. The IIC’s most recent demographic analysis of the P&C industry projected that 8.5% of the workforce would retire within five years, including about 15% of senior management, IB reported. The same research identified a lack of qualified external candidates as a key barrier to hiring.
Pressure is unlikely to ease soon. Recruitment firm Robert Half said this week that retirements and continued consolidation will keep demand for specialized talent high through 2027, especially for AI-related skills. The P&C industry supported an estimated 361,000 jobs in 2025, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Insurance has long struggled with low visibility as a career choice. The IIC has been working to change that, including through its Project Reframe campaign and the Insurance Careers Platform it launched in April to connect P&C employers with job seekers nationally.
Take Our Kids to Work Day works at the earliest stage of the pipeline. Grade 9 students are starting to choose high school courses that shape their post-secondary options, and seeing roles such as claims, underwriting and risk management first-hand can put insurance on their radar years before they’re job hunting.
For brokerages and insurers, taking part costs little and supports long-term recruitment. Smaller and regional brokerages, which often find it hardest to attract young talent, can use the day to show students the client-facing and advisory side of the business.
