For many years, Bâloise Assurances has maintained an active partnership with the Université de Luxembourg, based on a close exchange in terms of education and recruitment opportunities. This partnership offers fellowships to Bachelor in Applied Management students, selected for their merit and potential. These students receive monthly financial support for the entire 30-month period of their Bachelor's degree.
This fellowship also allows them to do an internship at Bâloise Assurances during their last semester. The aim is to gain valuable experience before entering the professional market.
Bâloise also runs webinars to give students the opportunity to discover different professions or aspects of the insurance sector in concrete terms, and perhaps to consider a career in this field.
Finally, for several years now, Bâloise has had a concept in place that appeals to both students and in-house professionals: the Graduate Program. The aim of this program is to recruit young graduates and integrate them into the company immediately after graduation. At the end of the program, they are offered a position depending on the opportunities and their professional objectives.
Constantly looking out for competent and promising profiles
As a new call for applications for the fellowship offer was launched to students of the Université de Luxembourg last month, Bâloise renews its support to upcoming graduates to prepare the future of these talents who will soon enter the professional market.
While this fellowship allows the students to finance their studies and acquire solid professional skills, Bâloise benefits in return from their fresh eyes and new ideas on the development of its activities.
"We want to give our trainees the opportunity to carry out real-life tasks, so that they can really learn the job they are destined for. This fits perfectly with our Corporate Social Responsibility approach," explains Laurence Fransen, Human Resources Director at Bâloise Luxembourg. "Not to mention that these students bring us a new perspective, their skills and their motivation for a position where we need a resource. It is a win-win collaboration.”
Students profiles of the Bachelor in Applied Management program match perfectly the expectations of the company, having an excellent academic background and being multi-skilled. It is thus easy to integrate them in different departments of the company, such as accounting, human resources, distribution, but also to enter more into the core insurance business with, for example, claims management, production services...
Passing on know-how and values
"Empathy, collaboration, accountability... these are all values that we want to transmit to our employees. We want our recruits to feel good. This requires encouragement and communication to allow them to truly blossom, to gain self-confidence and to bring us their ideas and visions on our current projects" explains Laurence Fransen.
During their six-month internship, students receive training on the job as well as on personal development, regular evaluations that allow them to improve or challenge themselves, and also a complete follow-up by their manager and the HR team. Thanks to the experts, they consolidate their knowledge and prepare to embark on their professional adventure.
"By applying to us for an internship, I think students are choosing a human company, recognized as a top employer. We want to help them develop their professional projects for the rest of their career.”
A stepping stone to the professional world
After graduation, it is not always easy for students to decide which sector of the industry to enter. Here again, Bâloise is committed to supporting them.
The Graduate Program is an excellent opportunity for young graduates to acquire the necessary skills in various areas of the insurance industry, to discover its many aspects and to refine their career plans. During the 16 months of the program, the Graduates integrate several departments of their choice in different countries, supervised by their managers and a member of the Executive Management as a mentor. For one of the former Graduates, who started his career at Bâloise three years ago through the program, this opportunity for discovery motivated him to apply: "The fact that I can get a detailed overview of the different professions in the insurance sector and work abroad in other Baloise Group entities is a very rewarding experience, which is unique in the Luxembourg financial market”. Another young graduate who had also joined the program in 2018 confirms: "After my studies I did not have a totally defined project but I had the desire to work in financial analysis. Finally, after discovering different departments and discussing my aspirations, I am now leading projects that involve change management." Another Graduate explains that it was "the possibility of developing her own skills while remaining flexible and open to new challenges" that pushed her to apply.
As with the interns, guidance and follow-up for Graduates is essential to help them find the department that best suits their interests and profiles. As one of the former Graduates testifies, "The guidance is one of the strongest points of the program, in my opinion. We have a lot of freedom, which has really allowed me to develop my interests - I studied economics and now work in IT - while being well supported and advised throughout the program”. His colleague also felt well guided. "In one of the departments that welcomed me, the manager took time to accompany me at the beginning and teach me everything about the department. My mentor was also very present to answer my questions. At Bâloise, you are free to choose which department you want to work in, and it is important to be able to discuss this”. For the last graduate arrived, "the program allows you to take responsibility for some projects and to work independently, but never alone”.
More than an internship, it is a real professional experience that students and young graduates acquire within a solid group, established in the Luxembourg economic and social sector for more than a century, and a major player on the international market.
For more information, please click on the link: www.baloise.lu
