Insurance executive Steve Horton knows first-hand the value that internship programmes at re/insurance companies can provide for both students and organisations.

Mr Horton was 15 when he interned with London-based insurance carriers Lexington, part of the AIG network.

During university, he spent a placement year at Marsh.

Now, the president of Liberty Specialty Markets Bermuda is encouraging students with an interest in re/insurance to apply for a summer internship at the firm he heads.

Mr Horton said: “I am quite passionate about it as my career started through a placement.”

LSM Bermuda, part of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, offers speciality and commercial insurance and reinsurance products in key markets around the world.

The company said its internship programme ensures that young people in Bermuda have an opportunity to develop and participate in the insurance industry.

It added that internships are not only critical to students seeking the necessary experience for post-graduation, they serve as a pipeline for talent for the organisation.

They also allow students to gain insight into the wide spectrum of careers available in the industry, which include underwriting, finance, investments, claims, and more.

Mr Horton said: “There is so much variability.”

LSM Bermuda has offered internships for about a decade, traditionally to college-aged students, but this year is widening the net in a bid to also attract applications from high school graduates.

The internship programme at LSM Bermuda runs next year from May until September.

The company said interns are given projects and tasks specific to the department they are working in – claims or underwriting, for example. They also sit in on departmental meetings and occasionally meet with clients/brokers.

Mr Horton said interns who return for a second internship stint at the company are placed in a different department so that they get broader experience across departments within the company.

Applications are encouraged from all students provided they have an interest in the re/insurance field.

Mr Horton said: “We don’t have a preferred degree. Staff here range from school leavers to people with undergraduate degrees, to MBAs. Their specialisms range from geography to business studies.”

The company said three former interns currently work full-time at LSM Bermuda – healthcare underwriter Lorine Holder, claims analyst Capri Astwood and underwriting assistant Nicole Amaral.

Ms Holder and Ms Astwood now assist with the internship programme.

To apply for an internship, send a cover letter and resume to BermudaHR@libertyglobalgroup.com.

The deadline for applications is January 29.