NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - March 25, 2011) - Ernst & Young LLP this week hosted over 100 high school seniors from New York City over two days for its inaugural Keys to Campus program, which focuses on college and career readiness. The inaugural event took place March 22-23 at the firm's Times Square headquarters.
Ernst & Young LLP launched Keys to Campus to prepare high school seniors for careers in finance, accounting, and IT. The firm launched the program in New York City, where it hosted students from the National Academy Foundation (NAF), a network of 500 high school career academies in 41 states with rigorous curricula that open doors for underserved high school students to viable careers. The National Academy Foundation works in partnership with the New York City Department of Education to support over 30 career academies in all five boroughs.
"At Ernst & Young LLP we have long been invested in the education of students and are pleased to build on our history with the NAF by launching Keys to Campus and look forward to partnering with other schools across the nation as we grow this program," said Ken Bouyer, Americas Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting. "Ensuring that more students graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed after high school takes collaboration and we are dedicated to doing our part to prepare the workforce of the future for both the accounting profession and the broader business community."
On each of the two days that Keys to Campus was held, high school students, Ernst & Young LLP partners and employees, and representatives from the NAF were in attendance. The event included opening remarks from Ernst & Young executives, as well as a presentation, and a Q&A session. Students also had the opportunity to network with each other and Ernst & Young LLP professionals.
Topics that were discussed during Keys to Campus included: making the transition to college; balancing academic demands with extracurricular activities; choosing courses and a major; planning for the future; obtaining leadership and teamwork experience; and developing a personal brand and resume. In addition to the two-day program, Ernst & Young LLP will create a Facebook page for participants to stay in touch with professionals at the firm for ongoing guidance on how to succeed in college and their early career.
The Keys to Campus program strengthens Ernst & Young's commitment to inclusiveness recruiting and raising awareness of accounting as a profession for diverse students. Other programs the firm has established or sponsors to promote diversity in the profession include:
- Accounting and Business Awareness Programs - Ernst & Young has sponsored these programs for more than 15 years. The program is held at colleges, universities, and Ernst & Young offices across the country to introduce minority high-school students to the professional workforce and encourage them to consider pursuing accounting careers. To date, over 3000 students have participated in such programs.
- College MAP (Mentoring for Access and Persistence) - Launched in 2009 by Ernst & Young in collaboration with College for Every Student, the program helps low-income students and their families navigate through the college application and financial aid processes. The program also helps the participants, who are juniors and seniors in high school, prepare for and thrive in a four-year college. To date, 149 students have participated in the program, with the first class expected to graduate this summer.
- Discover Tax Leadership Conference - The annual program invites 100 diverse college sophomores and juniors to New York City for a three-day conference to expose them to careers in tax. Since Ernst & Young launched Discover Tax in 2007, more than 70 percent of the program's participants have been extended internship offers, with a 90 percent acceptance rate. To date, 450 students have participated in Discover Tax.
- Horizon Internship Program - The program offers minority college students, who are two or more years from graduation, training and hands-on experience in a professional services environment. Interns attend training sessions that introduce them to Ernst & Young's business and culture. After training, the interns get to work on a variety of teams to gain insight into the operations of a global organization.
Each of these programs enables Ernst & Young to increase the pipeline of minorities at the firm and in the accounting profession by connecting to diverse students as early as high school.
About NAF
The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is an acclaimed network of career-themed academies that open doors for underserved high school students to viable careers. For nearly 30 years, the NAF has refined a proven model that provides young people access to industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals. NAF academies focus on one of four career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, and engineering. Employees of more than 2,500 companies volunteer in classrooms, act as mentors, engage NAF students in paid internships, and serve on local Advisory Boards. During the 2009-10 school year, 500 NAF academies served more than 53,000 students across 41 states, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NAF's national graduation rate of 90 percent testifies to the effectiveness of this effort.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential. For more information, please visit www.ey.com.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited located in the US.
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