Join HAIIvVE
The Hybrid Academia-Industry Internship via Virtual Engagement program is a unique opportunity for York students to gain real and paid work experience in Risk Management and Insurance from the comfort of the university campus.
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.
"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
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.
How it Works?
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.
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.
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.
"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
