The California Insurance Wholesalers Association (CIWA) has launched its first internship program, aimed at providing college students with practical experience in the excess and surplus lines insurance industry.
The initiative was developed following CIWA’s annual meeting in January, where student participation highlighted the value of involving emerging professionals in industry events.
The program is designed to offer students professional development, networking opportunities, and exposure to industry operations through participation in CIWA events.
CIWA noted that it will complement existing internship initiatives in the insurance sector, including those of the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) and the Surplus Line Association (SLA) of California.
The pilot phase of the program took place at CIWA’s Annual Meeting, where two students from the USC Marshall Arkley Institute for Risk Management assisted with event registration and setup while engaging with industry professionals.
CIWA president Yana Connors (pictured above) said the program reflects the organization’s focus on supporting the next generation of insurance professionals.
CIWA also announced plans to expand the program throughout 2025.
Surplus lines insurance in the US continues to expand, with the latest figures from the US Surplus Lines Service and Stamping Offices reporting premiums surpassing $81 billion in 2024. This represents a 12.1% increase from the prior year.
In 2023, the surplus lines market surpassed the $100 billion premium threshold for the first time, reaching $115.6 billion in direct premiums written (DPW), a 17.4% increase from 2022, according to AM Best.
S&P noted that this marks the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth, with the market's share of total US property and casualty (P&C) premiums rising from 5.2% in 2018 to 9.2% in 2023.
States with high exposure to natural catastrophes have seen notable increases in surplus lines activity. For instance, in 2023, surplus lines premiums accounted for approximately 14% of California's total property premiums, 21% in Florida, and 23% in Louisiana.
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