PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--July 5, 2006--MetLife, in collaboration with The American College, announced today the commencement of its new six-week internship program, "The Financial Fellowship Program." The first of its kind implemented in the MetLife and New England Financial sales force, the program seeks to meld the college learning experience with real-life work situations and mentoring to help educate, inform and recruit the next generation of financial services professionals.
"I am proud to welcome our first group of fellows into the program," states, Michael J. Vietri, CLU(R), Executive Vice President, Agency Distribution Group, MetLife. "For MetLife, face-to-face distribution is the key to our business. Through our fellowship program, we can now leverage our expertise in the industry and the field to help educate the students about the dynamic financial services environment and the many career opportunities awaiting them post-graduation."
The innovative program is geared toward college students who show a strong desire to increase their knowledge in the financial services industry and, with the assistance of MetLife or New England Financial (NEF) seasoned professionals, cultivate that passion into a long-term career. This year's launch program has approximately 50 students, chosen nationwide and sponsored by local MetLife or NEF agencies, who will be introduced to the field of financial services through a highly structured program. In the end, the program seeks to increase interest among the college students and potentially recruit and retain them as financial services representatives upon college graduation.
The students will begin their fellowship at one of the local sponsoring firms, followed by an intensive week of classroom training in-residence at The American College learning from the institution's world renowned faculty and top MetLife advisors.
The students that successfully complete this program will better understand a wide range of financial planning products and concepts including:
-- The Components of a Personal Financial Plan
-- Investing Basics, (Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds)
-- Estate Planning
-- Philanthropic and Charitable Giving
-- Money Management
-- Home and Auto Insurance
-- Health and Disability Insurance
"This program serves as an innovative incubator for potential financial services professionals," said Larry Barton, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of The American College. "Students often do not consider a career in insurance and financial services as one of their options upon graduation. This program is changing perceptions of the industry by immersing students in an intensive six-week program that builds understanding of the benefits financial products and services provide to consumers."
The students will then return to their respective firms to spend the remaining weeks of the program developing the skills and knowledge in order to pursue a career in the financial services industry. Each student will have the opportunity to work side-by-side with mentors and other financial services professionals to better understand the workings of, and opportunities in, the industry. All students will be given full support of the agency, which includes training seminars on such skill sets as prospecting and building a business; educational programs that cover such topics as long-term care insurance and annuity products; and mentor support - all crafted to prepare each student for a fulfilling career in financial services.
The American College is the nation's leading non-profit educator of professionals in the insurance and financial services industry. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, The College is a public charity founded in 1927 and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The American College offers an array of specialized designation programs, Master of Science degrees in several disciplines and customized continuing education programs predominantly on a distance education basis for those pursuing a career in financial services. For more information, visit www.TheAmericanCollege.edu
MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to millions of individual and institutional customers throughout the United States. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. offers life
insurance, annuities, automobile and homeowner's insurance and retail banking services to individuals, as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement and savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. Outside the U.S., the MetLife companies have direct insurance operations in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe. For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.
New England Financial, a Boston-based affiliate of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), provides financial products and services to individual and business owner markets through a network of 45 offices and almost 2,200 financial representatives. For more than 165 years, New England Financial and its predecessor New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, has been recognized as one of the premier life insurance and financial services organizations. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at www.nef.com.
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