Year 2018 - INSURTECH & NEW MARKETS 保險科技興新市場

專題探討 FEATURE In today’s highly competitive insurance landscape, knowledge and skills of employees is a source of productivity and competitive advantage. To remain relevant in the highly competitive insurance job market, employees also need to continuously keep their knowledge and skills updated. Together with the ever-increasing compliance requirements, insurance companies are constantly under tremendous pressure to deliver timely and cost-efficient training to a diverse audience. Thanks to its inherent high cost and lack of flexibility, the traditional classroom-based training method has become increasingly impractical for insurance companies as training demand increased. Costs frequently associated with classroom-based training include cost of instructors, venues as well as productivity loss while employees attending training. Furthermore, it is difficult for insurance professionals to bring the level of energy and attention needed to learn due to highly dynamic work role demands. Fortunately, recent design and achievements around digital technologies make it realistic to deliver out-of-class learning experience that best fit the needs and schedule of busy insurance professionals. With digital technologies, training can be delivered faster and becomes more visible. It is also more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Most importantly, research has shown that digital learning is as effective as, if not more effective than, traditional classroom-based training. Technology has not only radically disrupted the functioning of the insurance industry, it also enables insurance companies to digitise and to “automise” training. As one of the early advocates of digital learning in Hong Kong, we are seeing organisations increasingly turning to digital learning as a way to circumvent the costs and constraints associated with traditional classroom- based training. With the establishment of the Insurance Authority (IA), it is interesting to see if digital learning will also have a role to play in continuing professional development (CPD) of insurance intermediaries. 任影嬋 高峰進修學院院長 職業訓練局 Gladys Yam Principal, Institute of Professional Education And Knowledge Vocational Training Council “Learning for a living” – Technology is key to meet the skill challenge of the insurance industry 26 2017 年刊與 2018 展望 YEARBOOK 2017 & PROSPECT 2018