US-based financial services training and education provider Kaplan Professional says demand for its online training programs in insurance has been stronger than expected, and more courses are on the way.

CEO Brian Knight says about 400 people have completed insurance courses since Kaplan entered the Australian insurance education market in June with the introduction of seven online programs.

The original offering includes Certificate IV courses in general insurance (claims, sales and generalist streams) and life insurance (claims, sales and underwriting streams), and a Tier 1 compliance course in insurance broking.

Tier 1 compliance courses in general insurance and life insurance have since been added.

Kaplan says the programs are designed to “develop specialist knowledge and technical skills, including the ability to work well with clients”.

“The industry is hands-on and client-focused, so we’ve developed content in conjunction with senior insurance professionals to deliver courses from an industry perspective, with practical and relevant learning outcomes,” Mr Knight said.

He says entry into the Australian market has been in response to demand from the industry, and more courses will be introduced in the first quarter of next year.

There is particular demand for a diploma of insurance broking, plus courses in workers’ compensation and health insurance.

Kaplan is also exploring pathways to its bachelor of business degree.

“We entered the insurance education market because our [financial services] clients started asking us to do training in insurance, to provide them with more choice,” Mr Knight told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“We will continue to build [our insurance offering] based on what our clients want. 

“Already the [enrolments] are way ahead of what we had expected, so we are confident there is interest in Kaplan doing a lot more in insurance.”

He says insurance education in the US is a “huge” market for Kaplan.

The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) says it is unfazed by the emergence of a new provider of insurance courses.

Its education and training arm, NIBA College, has been operating since 1995.

CEO Dallas Booth says competition in the education and training market is a fact of life, but Kaplan, a giant company owned by the Washington Post Company, must prove itself.

“Kaplan hasn’t been a player in insurance education and training [in Australia] in the past, so it will have to establish the credibility of the courses it is offering,” Mr Booth told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“We remain highly confident of the courses NIBA has offered over the years and will continue to offer.”