Earning continuing education credits is a fact of life for many insurance professionals. Agents and brokers know they must file CE credits to maintain their licenses. While it may seem repetitive to take classes every year, staying educated is critical for insurance agents and brokers.
Being the best at your job means knowing current regulations, trends, and coverage issues affecting your clients. And being well-informed helps you better educate your policyholders — helping to avoid potential E&O claims affecting your agency.
Read on to learn more about earning your continuing education credits during National Learning and Development Month this October.
Earn Continuing Education Credits During National Learning and Development Month
The US celebrates October as National Learning and Development Month every year. That means it’s a great time to focus on finishing any lingering CE credits you need for the year. By focusing on industry learning this month, you can also help others in your agency earn their continuing education credits.
Try these ideas for finishing your continuing education credits this year:
Focus on regional issues.
Try a state-specific course to learn about regulatory or coverage issues affecting your area. For example, agents in Florida could learn more about the coastal property insurance market or challenges the state has faced following major hurricanes. California agents may benefit from courses about wildfire spread, moratoriums, and resilient building standards.
Trending topics are interesting.
Try a course on new coverage or changing legislation affecting your specialty area. For example, a course on how climate change affects weather, leading to insurance issues and reinsurance challenges could be helpful and informative.
Use member discounts on CE courses.
Are you a member of a professional group like the American Agents Alliance? Check any discounts on continuing education services you’re eligible for to help earn your CE credits at a discounted rate.
Take a class together at your agency.
Register your fellow agents for a class together. Some courses allow a group registration so you can take the course together, learning with your teammates. Taking a class together could be a team-building exercise that also benefits your agency when everyone learns useful information at the same time.
Plan ahead to earn continuing education credits next year.
While you are in planning mode, think ahead for next year. Consider which courses to take and topics you’d like to learn about. And plan ahead for the conferences you plan to attend. Many conferences, like the American Agents Alliance 2023 Conference & Expo offer attendees the chance to earn CE credits — meaning you can knock out some of your annual requirements while enjoying the networking benefits of a great event.
Continuing Professional Development Important for Employees
In addition to being necessary for satisfying licensing boards, a focus on continuing professional development at your agency is important for another reason. A recent LinkedIn report found 94% of employees valued training, saying they would stay with their current employers longer if their employer invested more in training.
Professional development and ongoing training aren’t just good for employees, either. Educated agents may be better prepared to avoid E&O claims by having current, up-to-date training and information to share with policyholders. Giving correct information is critical as an agent, both to properly advise clients and reduce the potential for E&O issues to arise.
Set yourself and your agency up for success by creating a learning culture where employees actively seek out training opportunities and earn continuing education credits well before the deadline.
These tips can help reinforce a culture of continuing education:
- Everyone should attend training classes, even senior leaders.
- Celebrate employees who pass exams and earn CE credits.
- Plan for how each employee will earn continuing education credits.
- Include an education goal in performance plans.
- Allow time at work for employees to earn CE credits and attend training sessions without feeling overwhelmed by job duties when they return.
- Provide a budget for individual development opportunities.
- Encourage employees to research training and development opportunities that interest them rather than forcing a suite of training courses that may not be relevant.
Once you have positioned yourself and your agency for success through continuing education credits, make sure to shop for the best E&O coverage. Get your free quote from the American Agents Alliance today to protect yourself and your agency. After all, staying educated and on top of the industry helps reduce your exposure to E&O claims, but having the right insurance protection in place helps protect against the risk.
Become a member of the American Agents Alliance today to benefit from discounted CE classes, access to E&O coverage, and other valuable member benefits.
