When the career shop was the entry point of choice into the insurance industry, it was normal for new agents to undertake an intensive training program, usually involving a combination of in-house training, field training, and head office training. With the cost-cutting measures so prevalent through this period, it was still necessary for insurers to find ways to distribute their products. Many insurers switched to the insurance broker system. Under the brokerage system, a Managing general agent(MGA) takes on most of the responsibilities that once fell to the career shops. The difference, as far as the insurers were concerned, was in cost management. Instead of insurers tying up resources dealing with training and human resources management, this burden was now passed directly to the agents, through their MGAs.