Ohio Urges Veterans To Seek Insurance Jobs

The State of Ohio is urging veterans and students to get into the insurance industry. Insurance companies are concerned about filling job openings. Insurance companies are seeing their baby boomers start to retire in droves, plus health insurance is in a growth spurt as the Affordable Care Act takes effect. So Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor—who’s been a vocal opponent of the health care law—is encouraging veterans to go get those insurance jobs. "We’ve reached specifically out to veterans or those that will be returning soon, because there are good job opportunities in the insurance industry." says Taylor. But it may not be just a question of job opportunities. Tim Gorrell, the director of veterans affairs for Ohio and a vet himself, says vets face unique obstacles. "The frustration that I experienced was when I’d go out an interview for a job, and I’d try to explain what I did in the military, and it’s like, well, but you don’t have this particular background, you didn’t do this in education, you didn’t do this in the banking industry, and it’s true." says Gorrell. So, schools are trying to pick up the slack: Franklin University in Columbus and Kent State have both launched programs focused on insurance jobs, although those aren’t specific to vets. Ohio insurance companies expect to have 17,000 thousand openings in the next five years. Lewis Wallace, Ohio Public Radio