This year the IIG is offering five wonderful programmes: Class of’24, Roots & Wings, Roots & Wings International, IIG Academic Programme and the IST. Every year we get excited about applications that come in for these education programmes. Who will our classroom students be? Who will our mentors and mentees be? It is like opening Pandora’s Box every 12 months!
This year is like no other year ever. We have so many applications from very loyal members and from new members. And we have also received double the number of applications for our Roots and Wings International programme that was piloted last year. The enthusiasm around these programmes is testament to the success of past programmes.
We base all our interactions with students, mentors and mentees on this phrase: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. And this ethos flows through all our programmes. Students come into the classroom expecting to learn essential soft skills and networking skills, and to raise money for a good IIG cause. They do not expect to shed layers of their lives and emerge with new confidence and new vision. We gently but deliberately move them out of their comfort zones and encourage them to be vulnerable, take risks and open their minds. This approach, coupled with the wonderful insights shared by the guest speakers, is truly life changing. These classroom sessions grow future industry leaders.
We choose the mentors in both mentorship programmes with this same ethos in mind. And, without fail, they show up in the most impactful way! Our mentees pay tribute at the end of every year to their mentors and that day is our favourite day in the IIG calendar – it is a celebration of connection, empathy, rapport, growth and development.
And the greatest spin-off of all these programmes is the fact that all our students and mentees are equipped with public speaking and presentation skills. They inevitably blow us all away at the end of the year with the final presentations.
What a privilege it is to work so closely with the talent in the insurance industry. What a privilege to have the IIG as the anchor for these programmes. To show our commitment to these programmes, we have introduced new initiatives this year that will enhance our classroom learning and mentorship review events. Our mission is to never be complacent and to always bring a competitive edge.
Article Written by: Linda Coetzee
