BALL STATE TARGETS MORE INSURANCE JOBS:

Indiana’s plan to market itself as an insurance hub is getting help from the faculty at the Center for Actuarial Science, Insurance and Risk Management at Ball State University in Muncie.

Steve Avila, the center’s co-director, is working with his counterparts at Indiana State University to help state leaders create more jobs in the insurance industry, according to the Muncie Star Press.

As a member of the Insurance Workforce Group, Avila is working on a strategic plan to boost insurance employment. According to data from 2003, Indiana ranked 17th in the nation with 60,240 insurance industry jobs.

The average salary for people working in insurance is $48,805, or roughly $10,000 more than the average Indiana resident makes. In 2003, insurance companies also added $175 million to the state’s tax coffers.

“There is a growing demand in the insurance industry for recent graduates who are well prepared, enthusiastic and have a strong work ethic,” said Avila, who leads the insurance and risk-management program.

Ball State has offered insurance and actuarial science courses for 30 years.