Gen Z’s entering the workforce with high expectations for their careers. They want jobs that offer growth, purpose, and flexibility. Savvy employers see this as an opportunity: organizations that meet these expectations will have a major advantage in attracting and keeping top talent.

The stakes are especially high for insurers. A wave of retirements is set to hit the industry in the next few years, and replacing that institutional knowledge will require a steady pipeline of new talent.

One of the most effective ways for insurers to meet this moment is to include education and upskilling opportunities in your talent strategy. You’ll attract younger generations of workers and also lay the groundwork to retain them longer. Let’s explore how.

Gen Z is the most educated and digitally native generation yet. They’re looking for careers that evolve with them and their future aspirations.

Insurers face a brand perception problem when it comes to this generation. When weighing career options, younger generations often gravitate toward industries like tech that signal innovation and growth. This means insurers risk losing talent to sectors that better align with what Gen Z says they want.

Education and upskilling programs provide three key advantages to help insurers reshape their employer brand and appeal to Gen Z:

Gen Z won’t stay where their skills stall. Offering debt-free education and continuous upskilling opportunities keeps this generation engaged and invested, especially if the content builds skills that are relevant to their roles and that are in high demand for the insurance industry.

To ensure that education is impactful, it has to be accessible. That means removing barriers to learning, like upfront costs in traditional tuition reimbursement policies that employees may not be able to afford. By covering tuition directly, you eliminate financial stress on employees and create equal access to learning.

Gen Z doesn’t want vague promises about opportunity. They want to see clear steps that will take them from today to what’s next in their careers.

That starts with mapping clear career paths and linking them to education and training. This way, employees have a roadmap for what learning and skills are needed to move towards their goals.

With the right upskilling at each stage, a role in claims can evolve into analytics or leadership . In underwriting, employees can pivot into cyber or climate risk. In operations, they can grow into automation and customer experience leadership.

Framed this way, insurance stops looking like a short-term stopover and instead becomes a career with momentum. That momentum is exactly what keeps early-career talent engaged and invested.

Insurance already has a built-in mission: protecting people, communities, and businesses. Adding education on top signals a second purpose: That your company also protects and invests in its employees’ futures. That dual mission resonates strongly with Gen Z and millennials, who consistently say meaning at work matters. 

Tracking promotions and recognizing employees for achieving learning milestones takes it further. It shows Gen Z employees that growth is real, not just promised.

The path to attracting and retaining Gen Z talent in insurance is clear: put education at the center of your talent strategy. By offering accessible learning, mapping transparent career paths, and reinforcing a sense of purpose, you can meet Gen Z’s expectations and set your organization apart to better compete for talent.

Ready to take action on skill-building for your insurance workforce? Download this 3-part playbook for actionable strategies you can implement today.