Summer Intern Opportunities as an Insurance Risk Engineering Trainee

A number of insurance companies are currently recruiting engineering students for summer intern programs. The intern program will consist of two to three summer sessions that will include an orientation session and joint travel to clients, with a designated Risk Engineering mentor, for risk assessment purposes.

Interns will be exposed to the role of insurance Risk Engineer while training for licensure as a Commissioned Boiler & Pressure Vessel Inspector. Interns would be required to pass the examination developed by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. Students who complete the summer intern program and who pass the National Board examination would be eligible to apply for employment with an interested insurance company.

Today, there is an industry-wide need for qualified Boiler and Machinery Risk Engineers. The role of the Boiler and Machinery Risk Engineer is to complete required jurisdictional safety inspections of boilers, pressure vessels and piping at facilities ranging from local schools to nuclear power facilities. More than two thirds of all required jurisdictional boiler and machinery inspections in North America are completed by qualified Insurance Risk Engineers. Additionally, the Risk Engineer completes equipment assessments and evaluations for insurance purposes as well as accident investigations when failures to machinery occur.

Boiler and Machinery Engineers can progress through one of two possible career paths. The Technical path allows for an individual to develop in the field of risk assessment and loss prevention. The Management path allows an engineer to function in a leadership role, for example, in developing staff to achieve their potential and the business results expected. Both paths can be challenging and rewarding, and involve the use of skills developed in college along with many more acquired through their employer.

Risk Engineers perform many other functions in addition to their important safety inspection duties. They are often asked to assist non-technical associates with an engineering analysis of facilities such as hospitals, schools, office buildings, storage facilities, processing facilities, manufacturing facilities and power generation facilities. This is real engineering work that requires real engineers.

It has been our experience that Risk Engineers are drawn to the profession because of the independence, career satisfaction and learning experiences that a career in the insurance industry can offer. Insurance industry employment provides the university graduate with the opportunity to be a part of a team of professionals who, on a daily basis, assist individuals and global corporations in addressing the issues of potential financial loss. At the same time, the career allows for a great deal of personal freedom in scheduling and actual facility visits. An insurance Risk Engineer must be a self-starter who can think for himself or herself and who seeks a challenge.

Career paths in the insurance industry may include other technical roles such as underwriters and claims adjusters. The summer intern program as proposed is the first step to a promising and rewarding career in an industry often overlooked by the engineering student.

Please contact any one of the following for more details. On campus you can also contact Dr. Gupta, Dept. of Mechanical Eng., x55276.

Myron Diehl

Senior Risk Engineer

1818 Market Street

21st Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103

myron.diehl@zurichna.com

(410) 374-6775

Stephen Rudnickas

Vice President & Manager - Jurisdictional Services

FM Global

1301 Atwood Avenue