Zurich Apprenticeship Program

Earn a debt-free college degree and full-time income while you launch a great career.

Business apprenticeship: A fast track to a great career

The Zurich Apprenticeship Program is a two-year journey that lets you earn a degree and launch a career with one of the largest global providers of insurance solutions to businesses and individuals. The program blends paid, on-the-job learning at Zurich with college coursework through one of our higher-education providers. Zurich covers tuition for apprentices to complete either an associate degree (for those with few or no college credits) or a bachelor’s degree (for those who already have completed two years of college).

Zurich apprenticeships are two-year journeys.

Apprentices earn a full-time salary and benefits.

Zurich covers tuition and fees toward completion of either an associate or bachelor's degree.

Completion brings guaranteed job placement at Zurich.

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Pivoting to apprenticeship

Have you ever wished there was another way to set yourself up for success? There is! Learn more from Zurich apprentices, alumni and leaders.

2 great options: Associate and Bachelor's Degree Apprenticeships

Associate Degree and Bachelor’s Degree Apprenticeships are offered in a variety of focus areas based on business needs. Some are in insurance specialties such as underwriting, claims and crop insurance. Some are in corporate functions such as human resources, information technology and communications. Learning and development is supported by on-the-job coaches, apprentice alumni advisors, academic coaches and study time.

Frequently asked questions

All Zurich apprenticeships are two-year programs, with a promotion into a post-apprenticeship role upon successful completion of the program. Associate Degree Apprentices and Bachelor's Degree Apprentices are hired year-round. New apprentices typically start in August or February.

From the start, apprentices are paid as full-time employees with benefits including paid time off, health insurance options and more. Zurich pays their tuition and fees in the two-year program. At the finish line, graduates earn a college degree, a promotion into their next role at Zurich and a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprentice certificate.

Successful apprentices have included veterans of the armed forces, people who want to pivot from a job to a career, parents returning to the workforce after a hiatus and high school graduates. Dependability, time management, initiative and interpersonal skills are essential.

Associate Degree Apprentices must have a high school diploma or an equivalent and must be verified as college ready by one of our education providers. Bachelor’s Degree Apprentices must have completed two or more years of college (the equivalent of 55-60 college credits, an associate degree or a rising college junior).

Zurich offers apprenticeships coast to coast, in cities as well as select agricultural areas based on demand in our crop insurance business, RCIS.

Associate Degree Apprentices typically have three days a week of on-the-job training, with two days a week reserved for college coursework. Bachelor’s Degree Apprentices typically work 32 hours a week at Zurich with eight hours a week reserved for college coursework.

The education providers for Associate Degree Apprentices include the following, and the coursework is typically hybrid or fully virtual depending on where the apprentice is based (business area and geographic location):

Harper College in Palatine, Illinois
Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City and online
Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, Iowa
Harold Washington College in Chicago

The education provider for Bachelor’s Degree Apprentices is University of Arizona Global Campus (fully online).

The degree depends in part on the apprentice’s area of focus and where they are based. Associate Degree Apprentices earn one of the following:

Associate in Applied Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in General Insurance
Associate in Applied Science in Business Management with a specialization in Risk Management and Insurance
Associate in Applied Science in Agriculture Business
Associate in Applied Science in Marketing and Management

Bachelor’s Degree Apprentices earn one of the following:

Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
Bachelor of Science in Cyber and Data Security Technology

I had a degree in my home country, Kyrgyzstan, then immigrated and had to start from scratch. I was trying to break into IT when I found the Zurich Cyber Apprenticeship. Zurich looked past my lack of experience and also recognized there is a benefit to bringing in people who can see things with very fresh eyes.
Aisuluu Kerimbokova
Cyber Security Associate, 2022 Apprentice Graduate in Schaumburg
I passed up a $20,000 scholarship to a university for this program. I can happily say I have no regrets and encourage others to look at this pathway. No scholarship amount can match the value of this program, which includes the paid work experience.
EJ Crespo
Premium Audit Associate, 2023 Apprentice Graduate in Schaumburg
A big reason I left active duty in the Army was for time with my wife and kids. But I was working a lot of overtime at a factory near my hometown, plus I was in the National Guard. I heard about the crop adjustor apprenticeship with Zurich’s RCIS business. Now I have more family time and I work with farmers who knew my mom and grandpa. And I don’t need directions to get to their fields.
Dakota Greenwood
RCIS Apprentice in southern Illinois and Army veteran
I worked in restaurant management, then pest control. Someone told me about the Zurich Apprenticeship Program. I know it’s never too late and that this was my chance to go back to school. Zurich is a company that invests in your mind and your future.
Justin Peters
Excess Casualty Underwriting Account Service Associate, 2023 Apprentice Graduate in Atlanta
My retail background was a real asset. I brought my existing communication skills and upgraded them by listening to people in positions of power. Now, I talk to customers around the world, and it’s never dull. It’s one benefit of working for a global company.
Angel Rosario
International Service Associate, 2022 Apprentice Graduate in New York
I was working as a bilingual parent liaison in the schools and part-time in a fast-food kitchen when I learned about the Zurich Apprenticeship Program. I cannot forget that day. All the program benefits caught my attention because they seemed too good to be true. Now I know they are real as well the opportunities to grow professionally and personally.
Dayanna Chavez Carranza
Business Practices & Project Support Specialist, 2022 apprentice graduate.
The fact Zurich would cover tuition was really appealing, but getting paid work experience and exposure to different areas of their organization was an even bigger selling point. Zurich is not just insurance; there are opportunities for many interests.
Jennifer Brumfield
Bachelor's Degree Apprentice in Schaumburg

A national leader in apprenticeship

The Zurich Apprenticeship Program became the first of its kind to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2016. Many honors and milestones have come since. The Department of Labor named a Zurich apprentice alumna to its Apprentice Trailblazer program in 2023. It named Zurich an Apprenticeship Ambassador company in 2022. Zurich’s program received the Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award in 2020.

Zurich, Aon and Accenture co-founded the Chicago Apprentice Network in 2017 and were honored with the 2022 Trailblazer Award by The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. The network regularly hosts events and has taken the network model to other cities where the companies have apprentices.

In Zurich North America’s home state, Zurich is a member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board’s Apprenticeship Illinois Committee. A Zurich apprentice was selected in 2023 to serve as an Illinois Apprentice Ambassador, helping to expand apprenticeships geographically and to new industries.

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