Program Teaches Young Women about Career Options at Erie Insurance

Dec. 17, 2007 - A group of young women from Union City High School is learning about a wealth of career opportunities available to them. Some day their career paths may lead them to Erie Insurance.

The students are part of a group called STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It began last year at Union City, Pa., with a goal of providing young women exposure to careers in those fields.

The group recently visited ERIE’s Home Office for a field trip. They spent the morning listening to several Employees speak about their roles within the company and received a tour of the company’s facilities. Twenty-six of the 32 girls involved in STEM attended the field trip, and they were impressed.

Amanda Smith was surprised by the size and setup of the Home Office. “It wasn’t just cubicles and phones,” said Amanda, a STEM student. “The architecture is amazing. I especially liked the CEO’s office.”

Students, teachers enjoy their day at ERIE

Joann Quickle, coordinator of the Union City STEM program, spoke highly of the group’s visit to ERIE. “We appreciate Erie Insurance for allowing us to visit,” she said. “Several girls said this was their favorite trip and were thrilled to learn about possible careers.”

Bob Harrington, supervisor, Actuarial Personal Pricing, coordinated the event. Ann Scott, vice president and manager, Strategic Sourcing, opened with a welcome and overview. She said it’s important to get students interested in math and science, particularly at ERIE where many areas of the company utilize math analysis and logical reasoning skills.

“It’s difficult to recruit experienced candidates to the areas that employ these skills such as Actuarial, IT, Underwriting and Claims. These are areas of the company where we have been hiring in the last few years,” Ann said. “Getting young people interested matters because of what lies ahead. With changing workforce demographics and retirement of the baby boomer generation, we anticipate an increase in the demand to fill these positions in the future.”

Following Ann’s introduction, the group listened to five speakers. Each one informed the students about his or her job, and what it takes to land that job, emphasizing the importance of a college education. The speakers included Sarah Shine, supervisor, Actuarial Commercial Pricing; Chris Marsh, manager, Financial Reporting and Cost Administration; Emily Stevens, supervisor, Claims Reporting; Rick Burnett, market research specialist; and Rick Hinman, vice president and section manager, IT Operations and Support.

“The integration of the different jobs was really cool,” said Jessica Willison, one of the students on the trip. “It was interesting to hear how many different jobs there are.”

STEM students held to high standards

Students at Union City are identified for the STEM program when they enter ninth grade based on an interest and ability in science and math, recommendations of their teachers and guidance counselors and exemplary discipline records.

The group tries to take one field trip per month to learn about potential careers in math and science. Since beginning last year, students in the STEM program have visited several businesses and universities, including Penn State Behrend, the Erie Planetarium, St. Vincent's Hospital, Pittsburgh Technical Institute and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State University Park.

“It’s a privilege to go on these trips to see what careers are available to us,” said Brittany Kafferlin, another of the Union City STEM program students. “The teachers make sure we maintain a 3.25 GPA to stay in the program, but it’s definitely worth it.”

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