The insurance industry is more an international sector now than it has ever been before. The Sri Lankan insurance industry recorded a growth of 5.14% in 2014 by generating a Gross Written Premium (GWP) amounting to Rs.99,872 million. Insurance density which represents the insurance premium income per person of the population has increased to Rs. 4,831 in 2014 from Rs. 4,637 recorded in 2013, growing by 4.18% mainly due to increased premium income against insignificant increase in the population (Source: IBSL annual report 2014). 

In order to cater to the needs of increasing client demands, it is vital that success as a professional in the insurance industry requires English skills of the highest quality.

Staff functioning in this industry is exposed to a range of different areas and hence the level of communicative ability required would be different based on each job role. The British Council worked with a leading insurance company in Sri Lanka to understand this requirement through a benchmarking exercise. Benchmarking provides a clear picture of the level of English language skills actually required for a particular job.
 

This approach of setting standards in English language competency at all levels of an organisation ensures it is effective in recruitment and investment in learning and development. 

The benchmarking exercise assesses the level of English required for each job role in each skill (reading, writing, speaking, listening) using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). 

The CEFR is the result of over 20 years of research. It is a global framework used to teach, assess and measure competency in the English language.
The framework assesses language proficiency at six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. For example, a person who is rated as A1 would be able to carry out very basic conversations like greetings or asking and giving a name. In comparison, an individual with a level of C2 would be able to use the language proficiently even in complex situations.  



“Benchmarking for English language skills is a powerful tool. It’s the foundation for ensuring that an individual’s skills are in line with the expectations of customers in today’s globalised industry” says Harriet Gardner, Country Examinations Manager British Council. 

For example the Assistant General Manager in charge of a department such as marketing would have to have a C1 level of speaking skills. This would be vital in his / her role in speaking at news conferences, presentations to the Board of Directors etc. Alternatively a role such as Executive in marketing would require a B2 level of speaking skills where he / her responsibility would require relatively less complex situations in English. 

An HR officer in the insurance industry would require a B1 level in speaking skills – they would need to communicate with some confidence and fluency .The same individual would require a B1 level in writing and reading English as well - they would have to write routine e-mails and other texts which convey straight-forward information, reply to requests, and ask about or explain problems with reasonable precision. In more complex matters, inaccuracies of language will be noticeable and may cause confusion for the reader. If this type of writing is required by this post, a B2 level will be needed. 

They would also need to read straightforward factual texts on subjects related to his/her work, and understand them well enough to carry out what is required. For listening and understanding, a B2 level will be required as he/she would need to be able to understand extended conversations, discussions and talks or presentations which may sometimes be quite complex in matter and language due to the technical aspects involved in the sector. 
To move into the role of Assistant Manager HR, the proficiency level required for speaking and writing in English increases to B2 as shown by the diagrams below. 

For more information on how benchmarking, assessment and English language development solutions can support your organisation or industry, contact the British Council on +94 (0) 114 521521 or visit www.britishcouncil.lk/exam/aptis

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide. 

We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes.
For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.lk