Why HAIIvVE?

Today, there are no (under)graduate educational options clearly tied to career opportunities in Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) in Ontario, and yet professional opportunities in this sector are endless and career paths offer balance, challenge, development, and stability. In fact, for those who aspire to make a real societal difference, RMI is an ideal industry, and this industry's critical focus now is talent.

 

A woman rock climbing at sunset
Ron Davis

"If insurance or other risk-sharing mechanisms didn't exist, global and local activity would quickly grind to a halt, which would negatively affect all of us in many ways."

Ron Davis (pictured), EVP Zurich Insurance

vr-meeting

What is it?

HAIIvVE is a path to the hidden gem of the business world. We offer unique paid work integrated learning to help kickstart careers in Risk Management and Insurance under the mentorship and supervision of prominent leaders in the industry and in the truly innovative, immersive, and accessible corporate environment built in Virtual Reality.

 

HAIIvVE Industry Partners

The success of the HAIIvVE program grows out of the team of dedicated Risk Management and Insurance industry leaders that help interns hone all the necessary skills to launch successful careers right upon graduation.

RBC
Wawanesa
WSIB_logo
Clearsum
Logo for York University
Hubbard-Decision-Research-Logo-320x132
Canada Life logo
Aon_Corporation_logo.svg
CIBC_logo_2021.svg
Cooperators
Cannex no background

HAIIvVE in numbers

Since the launch of HAIIvVE in the Fall term of 2021, the program has attracted
interns from Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Natural, Social, Formal, and Applied Sciences.
The innovative idea behind HAIIvVE has attracted
>$CAD
in funding from CEWIL Canada's iHub, RMI Industry, and York University.
>
industry partners that span all of: banking, insurance, consulting, quantitative and qualitative risk management, and retirement solutions.

How it Works?

icon of a dollar sign

Secure a real paid internship in Risk Management and Insurance

Paid internships are arguably the most sought-after type of Work Integrated Learning because longer/more intensive experience with a partner company gives interns a more realistic picture of careers in the field, and payment means more financial independence. Also, interns have many opportunities to create meaningful professional connections, and internships are hard to beat for resume building and future interview preparation.

icon of a balance

Gain real-world experience and transition seamlessly from Academia to Industry

 

The trainees, supported by a group of academic supervisors, tackle real industry challenges, posed by a group of industry mentors. Hence, the trainees have an opportunity of learning while doing and connecting the dots between theory and practice in an environment that minimizes the anxiety from engaging in real-world problems with limited or no applied knowledge/experience. Overall, a seamless transition from Academia to Industry is warranted.

icon of a head with a brain highlighted

Immerse into a Virtual-like-real corporate space

While physically working from the familiar surroundings of the York University Keele Campus, the trainees are immersed in the corporate experience of being in a multiple-office building, collaborating ‘face-to-face’ with coworkers either one-on-one or in group settings, reporting to managers with the help of Virtual Reality technology.

Jenny Tran, HAIIvVE 1
Jenny Tran, HAIIvVE 1

"I have had a great experience working as a team lead - project management with RISC-WSIB. Not only have I been able to work side-by-side with brilliant team members and industry mentors, but this internship has also helped me learn to transform complex data sets into meaningful stories. In addition, I learned how to harness the power of data analytics for risk mitigation, which became a competitive advantage for me in landing my first full-time job as a portfolio manager."

 

Jenny Tran, Portfolio Manager at the Laurentian Bank of Canada

"As a lawyer starting MBA in 2020, I found everything quite new to me. At the time, risk consulting in Financial Services was something that really interested as I saw it as a field where I could combine my skills as a lawyer and an MBA. However, being new to business and MBA, I didn’t really know what exactly it would be like to work in Financial Services in the area of risk. HAIIvVE  gave me the opportunity to not only have a first-hand experience of working in this field but also provided me with means and a mentor to get deeper insights and learn new exciting things about strategic risk."

 

Abhay Punia, Senior Analyst Business and Analytics at Accenture

Abhay Punia, HAIIvVE 1
Abhay Punia, HAIIvVE 1