Teams of sixth form students across the UK are being encouraged to consider a career in risk by playing an interactive board game developed by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

The Discover Risk game presents students with a range of different global scenarios that they would not normally associate with insurance, such as a pop star losing her voice or bad weather ruining a day’s filming on a movie set. Working in teams the students assess the risks associated with each scenario and the likelihood of the scenario taking place.

Caspar Bartington, relationship manager – education at the CII, stated, “Research conducted by the CII in 2010 showed that insurance was one of the least popular career choices for school and university leavers with fewer than 5% of students viewing it as an attractive or possible career. To alter students’ perceptions the CII developed the Discover Risk board game and has piloted it in nearly 35 schools with almost 1000 students. The feedback from schools has been very positive. Playing the game dramatically changes students’ perceptions of insurance, with 70% saying they would actively consider a career in the profession after playing the game. The game also develops key skills that employers look for, such as communication, problem-solving, negotiation and teamwork”.

The game was launched by Chris Hanks, president of CII and general manager at Allianz, at Lambeth College in London, who said, “Many students don’t have a great understanding of insurance, very often the only knowledge they have is when they buy motor insurance. In reality, our industry is hugely diverse. I encourage everyone to find out more and think about how they can support this positive initiative.”

Leo Houlding, professional rock climber and extreme sportsman, has also supported the launch of the game, commenting, “We all take risks every day; in my profession I understand that it’s really important to calculate and manage risks well. This is what the insurance profession does and the Discover Risk campaign aims to show students about the insurance sector and also help them develop skills for the workplace.”

A short film about Discover Risk that also shows the game being played by students and Chris Hanks at Lambeth College is available to view at www.youtube.com/ciimedia.

The CII will be taking the Discover Risk board game to schools around the UK. Further details on the Discover Risk programme and how to get involved can be found at www.discoverrisk.co.uk

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