By Richard Klipin, NIBA CEO

The data is clear. The momentum is real. And NIBA is doubling down on the next generation of insurance brokers.

There is a narrative about insurance broking that has persisted for too long – that it is a profession people stumble into rather than seek out, a second career rather than a first choice. I have never believed that, and the evidence increasingly contradicts it.

What we are seeing across the profession right now is a generation of talented, ambitious professionals who have chosen this sector and are driving it forwards with energy and capability. The data confirms it.

Our awards program confirms it. And the demand for mentorship and professional development confirms it too. Our job at NIBA is to meet that momentum with investment – in platforms, programs and pathways that give the next generation every opportunity to thrive.

A profession renewing itself

NIBA’s latest research report – Data to Direction: Insights from the General Insurance Broking Profession – offers the most comprehensive picture of our profession to date. Among its most striking findings is that brokers aged 30-39 now represent the second-largest cohort in the sector, accounting for more than one in four brokers.

 

Brokers by age range

 

The research also reveals a profession with diverse entry points. Educational attainment across the workforce spans the full spectrum: 31% of brokers hold a bachelor’s degree, 19% hold an advanced diploma or diploma, and 10% hold a certificate III or IV.

 

Brokers by education level

 

A further 23% entered the profession without formal tertiary qualifications. Insurance broking is a profession where practical experience, industry training and client acumen count as much as academic credentials. There is no single prescribed pathway in, and that openness should be part of how we tell the profession's story to the next generation.

The workforce picture is similarly encouraging when it comes to inclusivity. Female representation stands at 47%, a balanced gender distribution by the standards of financial services.

About 27% of brokers work part-time, reflecting a profession that accommodates flexible arrangements and the varied commitments people bring to their careers.

These are points of difference that make insurance broking accessible and sustainable for a wide range of people.

One opportunity stands out. Brokers aged 18-29 represent 11% of the workforce, reflecting the reality that insurance broking has historically lacked structured early-career pathways.

This is a pipeline problem. And it is one we are actively working to solve.

Record ambition, record nominations

The energy among emerging professionals is perhaps nowhere more visible than in the response to the NIBA awards program.

This year, the NIBA young broker of the year award, proudly partnered by Vero, received a record 96 nominations from brokers aged under 35 across Australia.

Behind each of those nominations is a broker who has gone above and beyond for their clients, earned the respect of their colleagues and been recognised by someone in their professional orbit as exceptional. The scale of that recognition, spread across every state and territory, tells us the depth of emerging talent in this profession is real, distributed and growing.

Meeting the moment through the NIBA Mentoring Program

Recognition matters. But so does the structured support that helps emerging professionals navigate the early stages of a career and build towards their potential. That is what the NIBA Mentoring Program is designed to deliver.

This year, we have seen a 50% increase in participation compared with 2025, with nearly 150 professionals involved right across the country.

That is a significant jump and it reflects something genuine. Young brokers are not just ambitious. They are seeking guidance, connection and clarity. They want to learn from experienced practitioners. They want structured support. And when we offer it, they take it up.

The growth of the program tells us the profession is ready for this kind of investment. It also places a responsibility on NIBA and on the broader industry to keep expanding the quality and reach of what we offer.

Building the pipeline: Insure Your Future

Recognition and mentorship are critical for those already in the profession. But we also need to invest in those who have not yet found their way here, and in removing the barriers that prevent them from doing so.

That is the purpose of Insure Your Future, NIBA’s initiative designed to attract the next wave of talent into insurance broking. The platform speaks directly to school leavers and graduates who may never have considered a career in insurance, helping them understand what brokers do, what pathways exist, and what a career in this profession can offer.

Insurance broking offers intellectually demanding, client-facing work with career progression and the satisfaction of protecting the things that matter most to people and businesses. That story deserves to be told loudly. Insure Your Future is how we are telling it.

The record award nominations, the growth in mentoring, the reach of Insure Your Future, it all reflects a profession investing seriously in its own future. And that investment must be deliberate and sustained.

At NIBA, we will keep building the structures and programs that give emerging professionals every reason to choose this profession, stay in it and lead it. The next generation of insurance brokers is already here. NIBA’s role is to make sure they have everything they need to lead.

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