AIDA is committed to involving younger people in its activities at every level: national, regional and global. Encouragement and involvement of younger lawyers and insurance market professionals is manifested in many fast-developing ways.
At national level an increasing number of AIDA National Sections have made special provision for younger members. AIDA’s Australian National Section (AILA) has an AILA National Young Professionals Committee (the “AILA Young Professionals” – YPs),. This affords a platform for social and educational activities across AILA branches within the country. Both AILA and the New Zealand National Section (NZILA) also encourage participation of young people with other like- minded associations.
In 2012, BILA (AIDA’s UK Chapter) created a Future Insurance Professionals Group aimed at staging events for students in universities and other vocational training establishments contemplating careers in insurance law or the insurance market. In 2016, a BILA Under 35s Committee was formed under the direction of the BILA Committee. The Under 35s Committee, now the BILA Young Professionals, secured sponsorship from employers in insurance and the law and have authority themselves to arrange social and educational events, embracing also the encouragement of future insurance professionals.
Similar initiatives have more recently followed with 2017 seeing the creation of Young AIDA France. Other AIDA National Sections, including those in Italy, Hong Kong and Singapore have arranged ad hoc events or activities for younger members and/or reduced membership fees for student members and/or academic or training establishments.
At regional level both AIDA Europe and CILA have instituted notable schemes for the encouragement of the involvement of younger members both in their own activities and at national levels. (See Young AE and Young CILA respectively.) This sees National Sections within CILA appointing Young AIDA Committees at national level to encourage collaboration with peers within CILA and AIDA more widely.
Globally, (see Young AIDA Globally) AIDA’s Presidential Council is actively considering with National Section representatives and AIDA’s regional group committees the most beneficial ways that AIDA’s full range of activities can be made most attractive, accessible and affordable for younger members by way of grants, subsidies and/or other forms of financial support or sponsorship generated. Through AIDA channels contact is encouraged between various “Young AIDA” groups across all geographic distances. One such recent collaboration assisted has been between the Australian and UK National Section young professionals groups.
