NEO series FAQ Please note that upon registration you will receive an e-mail message from MERG, PIA’s education partner. This message will contain important information regarding your course, including login information.

New Employee Orientation for Agency Personnel
(Online Computer Mediated Distance Learning Course conducted by PIA's learning partner, MERG)

Suggested weekly course time: 3 hours (on your own time)

Give your rookies the training they need to succeed—without interrupting your daily sales and service activities. If you have a new employee on board or are planning a new hire, this course is for you! This program is designed for unlicensed employees with less than 12 months experience in the agency. Your employees log on to the course via the computer each week to get the training they need. There’s no travel, no interruption to daily agency activity and, most importantly, no time out of the office!

Through this “virtual classroom,” your new hire can connect with other rookies, bounce questions off the facilitator, and learn in manageable pieces in the comfort of their home or office!

We will:
• build a foundation of knowledge about insurance
• explore the big picture of insurance, including terms and key concepts
• discover how the agency delivers service to customers
• teach the importance of E&O prevention techniques

Developing an employee orientation program is not an easy task, but it is often the only way to successfully introduce new employees to the insurance industry. Most employers find that there simply isn't enough time to train new employees and keep up with their daily sales and service activities. Until now, there hasn't been a simple solution to this dilemma.

Participants will come away from the program with a greater understanding of the insurance industry to supplement the on-the-job experience they receive in their first few months with your agency. Isn't that the goal of every employer when training new employees? Designed for new employees with 0-3 months experience.

Curriculum includes:

Orientation (if first on-line course)
Week 1: How We All Benefit from Insurance
Week 2: General Concepts of Insurance
Week 3: An Overview of the Insurance Industry
Week 4: The People Behind the Promise|
Week 5: The Insurance Contract
Week 6: Personal Lines Insurance Policies
Week 7: Commercial Lines Insurance Policies

Here's how it works

• To successfully complete the course, students must:
• Read the assigned textbook chapter and complete the comprehension exercises for each concept.
• Complete weekly assignments, including asking agency staff questions relevant to the topic at hand and sharing information learned in discussion groups.
• Participate in frequent discussion groups.
• Complete brief weekly quizzes.
• Successfully complete the final exam.

You will need:

• A Windows PC or Macintosh computer
• A modem
• Internet access

Cancellation Policy:
All registration fees must be received in advance. Cancellations received prior to the start of the orientation period are fully refundable; those received during the orientation period will be refunded 75 percent; and those received during the first week of class will be refunded 5 percent. Thereafter, there is no refund. Refunds will be issued when books and materials are returned. If books and materials are used, the cost will be deducted from your refund.

Registration:
Select a program and complete the online registration form. An email confirmation will be sent within one working day with all necessary login information and class materials sent soon thereafter.