Wsia Education FOUNDATION

Education and technical training programs: the organization supports the associate in surplus lines (asli) designation program that was developed in conjunction with the institutes and provides a professional designation for insurance professionals in the wholesale, specialty, and surplus lines industry. Additionally, the organization supports the underwriting boot camp and Wsia university Education programs that provide Wsia members an opportunity to continue their Education and expand their knowledge of the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines market.

Scholarships: the organization provides scholarships for college and university students to encourage, support and reward exceptional students who are studying risk management and insurance and express an interest in the surplus lines industry.

Symposiums: the organization sponsors four (4) college extreme risk takers symposiums each year at various geographical locations. The organization is also a sustaining partner for the gamma iota sigma, an international risk management insurance and actuarial science collegiate fraternity, that serves over 4,000 student members and faculty from 76 chapters by providing professional development and educational opportunities. The organization pledged $1 million to the Wsia diversity Foundation, the charitable Foundation for the wholesale, specialty, and surplus lines industry whose sole purpose is to promote diversity in the areas of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc., attract diverse talent, and influence meaningful progress in the diversity of the Wsia membership and its talent pipeline.

Solvency study: the organization underwrites the research and publication of the annual review on the surplus lines industry. The first edition was released in the fall of 1994 and a new edition is released each year. This publication has become the most quoted source on surplus lines insurance and provides a great deal of positive insightful information about this segment of the insurance industry. In addition, the organization provides a grant for the annual am best webinar that is conducted each fall which includes a panel of industry leaders in the surplus lines sector of the u.s. insurance market. The panel reviews the market and provides a highlight of the newest edition of the report.