Our weekly round-up of additional news items we thought would be of interest to the Massachusetts insurance industry
Plymouth Rock Assurance Opens New Corporate Headquarters In New Jersey
Facility in Woodbridge, New Jersey, will house more than 650 employees
On March 20, 2019 Plymouth Rock opened the doors to its new corporate headquarters in New Jersey. In attendance at the ribbon cutting ceremony were Assemblyman John McKeon, chair of the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee; Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, chair of the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee; Marlene Caride, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance; John McCormac, and Mayor of Woodbridge Township.
“Plymouth Rock’s next phase of growth brings a number of exciting changes to our organization,” said Gerry Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Plymouth Rock Management Company of New Jersey. “An important change is the centralization of our New Jersey operations to this beautiful modernized space in Woodbridge. The move helps us improve organizational effectiveness, allows us to compete for top talent in the New York metropolitan area, and makes our location more attractive to employees with easy access to the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway along with greater accessibility to mass transit.”
The Boston-based insurer says that more than 650 Plymouth Rock employees already have moved into the new space from the company’s former offices.
“We remain deeply committed to the state of New Jersey,” said Wilson. “It is also our hope that this new headquarters will serve as a launching pad for continued growth in New Jersey as well as our expanded operations into neighboring states. We’re very excited for the opportunities it will open up for the company.”
Billie Jean King To Speak At RIMS2019 Annual Conference in Boston This April
For those who love insurance as well as tennis, take note. Tennis legend, Billie Jean King, will be one of the key note speakers at the RIMS 2019 Annual Conference this year. The RIMS Annual Conference will take place from April 28 through May 1st and is expecting more than 10,000 attendees from over 70 countries, with 300 speakers and 400 exhibitors planned.
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Best Buddies Announces New Partnership with Fundación MAPFRE to Launch Pre-Employment Training Program for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Central Massachusetts
Best Buddies is a groundbreaking nonprofit founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), is excited to announce a partnership with Fundación MAPFRE and the launch of a Pre-Employment Training Program for participants with IDD ages 16 – 22 in Central Massachusetts.
Best Buddies currently offers a school-based inclusion program through over 2,000 chapters worldwide and an integrated employment program with over 400 placements in the United States. The partnership between both organizations will bridge the gap between these two programs and provide critical transition services in the form of pre-employment training (PET) to students with IDD. PET will serve both students still completing their schooling who require additional training to prepare for employment and those imminently transitioning out of the education system and into employment.
A classroom-based program will offer employment training and corporate mentorship to help develop students’ career ambitions. For older students, the program will include a series of in-depth sessions over time to introduce work opportunities and build critical job skills. Together, these experiences will increase the likelihood of long-term successful employment for people with IDD.
“It is our hope that our new Pre-Employment Training Program will help ease the transition from school to work for students with IDD by bridging our Friendship and Jobs programs,” said Sheri Dean, Manager-Transitions Program, Best Buddies Massachusetts. “The goal of this new program is to provide an additional resource to supplement the existing services being provided in the schools as part of their Special Education/Transition programs. The components of our Pre-Employment Training Program consist of self-advocacy, job exploration, work readiness and work-based learning opportunities.”
“Pre-employment training provides needed assistance to prepare people as they transition to the workforce,” said Alfredo Castelo, Chief Representative of Fundación MAPFRE in the U.S. “We are pleased to support the excellent work of Best Buddies International to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure jobs and maintain their independence.”
