Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is sponsoring an insurance pre-licensing academy as part of the payer's efforts to create a more diverse workforce in the insurance industry.
According to a Jan. 31 news release, the payer is putting $243,000 behind a program at Robeson Community College in Lumberton, N.C. The grant will fund at least 90 students in the program, which will run three times a year for three years.
Roy Watson, vice president of group segment and state health plan for Blue Cross NC, said in the release it is important to build a workforce as diverse as the payer's members.
"By taking steps to build a diverse and inclusive salesforce that better engages communities, we are moving forward our mission to provide an opportunity for all North Carolinians to be healthier," Mr. Watson said.
Several payers have introduced education initiatives meant to bolster the insurance workforce.