Most UK brokers know AI is changing how they work. Far fewer have had structured training on how to use it well. The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and Markel are looking to change that, opening applications for the founding cohort of the Broker AI Academy. Places are capped at 20, with travel and accommodation funded by Markel. Applications close on September 11, with the cohort running on 14 and 15 October at Markel's offices in Leeds.
The Academy has been in development since January. That month, BIBA listed an AI training school with Markel as one of its ten key Manifesto commitments. The association described it as practical and interactive training that would go beyond the AI guide it published in 2025. The programme is aimed at BIBA members and has been shaped around what brokers said they needed.
Graeme Trudgill, chief executive of BIBA, said members had been asking how to harness the opportunities AI presents while managing the risks. "That's why an AI training school is one of our key 2026 Manifesto commitments," he said. "The Broker AI Academy aims to give brokers practical skills they can put to use immediately, helping them become more efficient and spend more time supporting their customers."
The timing speaks to a wider problem the profession is working through. The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) published its Responsible AI: from policy to practice report in August, warning that a critical AI fluency gap risks undermining responsible adoption. The concern is that firms are deploying AI faster than their people can understand, challenge, and govern it. The CII said training needs to go beyond learning individual tools and should build critical thinking and the confidence to question automated outputs.
That warning sits against a market where AI adoption among UK insurers has accelerated sharply. Adoption has moved well beyond the cautious proof-of-concept approach that characterised the sector as recently as 2024.
Brokers have largely been working through that shift without a structured framework. The BIBA and Markel Academy is among the first formal, trade-body-backed training programmes aimed specifically at UK brokers. The founding cohort will also help shape how the programme develops before it is made more widely available to BIBA members.
Simon Johnston, marketing director for the UK at Markel, said AI has the potential to change the way brokers work, but the opportunity extends beyond the technology itself. "It's about helping brokers use AI to save time, deliver more value for clients, and create new opportunities," he said. "We're delighted to be working with BIBA to turn its Manifesto commitment into a practical programme that is shaped by brokers and designed around their real-world needs."
The two-day programme covers expert training sessions, practical workshops, and industry speakers. Participants will collaborate on shaping future Academy content and attend an evening networking dinner on October 14. A second phase, also launching in October, will extend the content into a digital self-serve academy for all BIBA members. It will be delivered via Markel's Business Hub Learning Platform and carry CPD accreditation. A third phase will provide an ongoing learning environment for alumni, covering new AI tools, practical use cases, and advanced modules.
The programme arrives against a backdrop of growing formal pressure on the sector to address AI capability. In July, the UK government launched a City skills compact requiring financial services employers to commit to structured AI retraining. Lloyd's of London was among 17 founding signatories, each required to draw up rolling three-year training plans with AI mandatory. The first reporting deadline falls in November. For brokers outside the largest firms, the BIBA and Markel Academy offers a more immediate path to the same goal.
BIBA members can nominate themselves or a colleague for the founding cohort. Applications close on September 11.
