The Graduate Internship Project 2008

The graduate internship project was initiated by Indwe Risk Services due to the shortage of young black professionals in the short term insurance industry, and to support the growth and development strategy of the organisation.

As an accredited training provider, Indwe offers training and workplace experiential learning to the interns for a period of a year. This is supported by funding from INSETA.

On completion of the internship there is no guarantee of employment, but in most cases we will endeavour to employ each intern at different divisions in the company. The programme is designed in such a way that during training, the interns are exposed to all different departments, branches and divisions of the company. This assists them in finding their individual niches, and provides valuable work experience. As a result, the interns are prepared for future employment in the short term insurance industry, equipped with a sound understanding of how business operates within the South African economy.

The programme consists of unit-standard based skills programmes. They are assessed formatively and summatively, and if found competent, the interns are awarded the relevant credits to make them compliant. At the end of the programme, the recruited interns will be deemed fit and proper in terms of the workplace experience gained, and minimum credits required, in line with requirements as stipulated in the FAIS Act (Act 37 of 2002). Project Aim

To have a pool of black graduates who will be fast tracked over the next few years.
To develop a knowledgeable and skilled Indwe workforce
To equip graduates with expert knowledge of the short term insurance industry.
Initiated on empowerment principles, the interns will acquire on-the-job training experience, which is critical for skills transfer.

Programme Duration
The programme runs for twelve (12) months and includes intensive theoretical knowledge about products, legislation, and business acumen; and involves assignments, case studies based on media articles, research, presentations and portfolio building towards FAIS-related credits.

Programme Scope
During the four months of theoretical training and eight months of experiential learning at the different business units, the interns are equipped with the following information and skills:

1. Introduction to short-term insurance.
2. FAIS Act, Short-Term Insurance Act and related legislations.
3. Business ethics.
4. Personal financial planning and management.
5. Indwe short-term insurance products (personal, commercial and corporate).
6. Indwe data capturing systems.
7. Customer interaction - planning and management.
8. Basic conditions of employment.
9. Business communication.
10. Time and stress management.
11. Customer service orientation.
12. Project/research methodology and feedback, based on Powerpoint presentations.
13. Analysis of annual financial reports.
14. Self knowledge and self empowerment.

These skills are critical to the organisation’s vision – “To be the best provider of superior risk solutions, and a rewarding service experience”.

Employment Prospects
Thus far, forty four interns have been trained. Most of them have been, or will be, offered permanent employment at Indwe Risk services. The interns will be placed in various departments, such as the call centre, claims and commercial divisions, once their internships have been completed.

There are therefore excellent employment prospects in the long-term for interns who impress the organisation during their training.

Interns who are employed by Indwe are encouraged to further develop themselves and their careers, and Indwe supports them through continuous learning to improve their business skills by providing them with workplace coaches and mentors.

Conclusion
Indwe is committed to developing and training graduates by giving them opportunities to empower themselves in technical, financial and life skills. Our interns are mentored through Indwe business processes. For their holistic success, the interns are encouraged to develop and empower themselves by developing business savvy and self confidence.