A long-held dream of the Life Brokers Association (LBA) for a degree course in disability and insurance may soon become a reality with help from others in the industry.
Recently the LBA met with the Insurance and Investment Advisers Association, a representative from product providers and the Investment and Insurance Savings Association (ISI) to discuss the issue.
LBA chairman Cyril Chaplin says there is strong support from others in the industry for a degree course.
While LBA had been looking at having the course run out of Lincoln University in Christchurch it looks like such a course will now be run by Massey University.
Currently Massey runs a diploma in business studies, endorsed financial planning.
IIAA professional development director Paul O'Brien says the IIAA is supportive of having a degree course.
He says many of the IIAA members have reached the diploma level in tertiary education and are keen to move to a degree course.
"Many of the IIAA members have completed education up to a diploma equivalent level and are now looking for the next step," he says. "They are wanting to go further."
The major hurdle for the LBA's Lincoln course has been cost. In the past the figure of $250,000 has been suggested as what's needed to establish the course. Chaplin says it could be done for much less than that through Massey.
O'Brien says the IIAA board has formally decided to work in conjunction with the LBA to establish a degree course.
He says it's an industry-led initiative and it's up to association members to decide what they want.
A long-held dream of the Life Brokers Association (LBA) for a degree course in disability and insurance may soon become a reality with help from others in the industry.