One of the in­sur­ance in­dus­try’s main suc­cess fac­tors – a com­pe­tent work­force

Commitment to qualified young talent

The insurance industry is committed to dual vocational training and attaches great importance to recruiting young talent from within its own ranks. A comprehensive and transparent training and continuing education system also enables people to enter the industry from other fields and offers attractive development opportunities beyond the normal retirement age.

Promoting all generations

As a committed training industry, the insurance industry provides the best possible training for its future skilled workers. With 2,100 apprenticeship contracts, it makes an important contribution to promoting the next generation. The Vocational Training Association of the Insurance Industry (VBV) is responsible for training and further education in the insurance sector, together with the Swiss government and the cantons. The Swiss Insurance Association (SVV) supports the VBV (Association of Swiss Insurance Brokers) in its role as a provider of educational qualifications and has been a member of ICT-Vocational Training Switzerland (ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz) since 2023, promoting IT professions in the insurance industry. In this way, the industry is helping to shape developments in the promising professional fields of IT specialists, digital business developers and mediamatics specialists. Information services such as the ‘startsmart.ch’ platform (a website for career orientation), which introduces school leavers to the world of insurance, also help in this regard.

The skills required of professionals in the insurance industry's service sector are demanding and constantly evolving. New job profiles are emerging with changing qualification requirements. The Swiss Insurance Association (SVV) is therefore committed to future-oriented skills development and works closely with research institutions, education providers and its member companies. In its 2021 study ‘Skills of the Future’ (Skills der Zukunft), the association (the Swiss Insurance Association) identified the skills that employees in the insurance industry will need in the future to meet the increasing demands on technical and practical expertise. The SVV has also developed ‘InsurSkills’, a self-analysis tool that employees can use to assess their own skills. In this way, the industry is investing in the employability of its employees.

Skilled workers remain in short supply

Even though there was a decline in job vacancies in Switzerland in the first half of 2024, there is still a shortage of skilled workers in the insurance industry. In its study ‘Skilled labour situation in the insurance industry’ published in June 2023, BSS found that 30 out of a total of 38 occupations are affected by a shortage of skilled workers. The industry is pursuing three main approaches to meet this challenge: more efficient use of untapped skilled labour potential, increased investment in training and continuing education, and making the industry and its professions more attractive.

Information requirement for intermediary training

The Swiss insurance industry has maintained the ‘Cicero’ industry register since 2015. Cicero stands for ‘Certified Insurance Competence.’ It is a seal of quality for advisors who continuously develop their skills. Cicero helps to improve the quality of insurance advice. Insurance brokers are often career changers and need comprehensive training for their new professional qualification. Cicero members must have successfully completed the ‘Insurance Intermediary VBV’ examination or an equivalent insurance qualification and undergo regular further training. The individual insurance companies and inter-company training providers ensure that a comprehensive and up-to-date range of training courses is available in the relevant subjects.

New minimum standards for training and further education

With the revised Swiss Insurance Supervision Act (VAG) and the corresponding supervisory ordinance (AVO), important changes regarding the duty to provide information on training and continuing education for insurance intermediaries came into force on 1 January 2024.

The responsibility for informing customers about training and continuing education now lies with the insurance companies and intermediaries.

There is a two-year transition period until the end of 2025 for the training and continuing education requirements. During this time, minimum standards for training and continuing education will be redefined and monitored through examinations. Recognised insurance intermediaries will be officially registered. The Cicero system will be abolished from 2026.