JP Morgan Chase & Co. Career Readiness Program Supports Young People with Project-Based Mentoring
August 31, 2021
To ensure a bright future for the next generation of the labor market, employers must create workplaces that are supportive of young people’s growth as leaders and innovators through workplace mentoring programs. Research shows that when employers support youth mentoring, 73% of employees report strong career satisfaction. For corporate entities, mentoring is a clear path to positive outcomes for young people and employees alike. In service to their commitment to workforce development and enriching young people’s out-of-school learning, JP Morgan Chase & Co. has partnered with MENTOR to design and implement a project-based career readiness program. For six weeks, young people work with JP Morgan Chase & Co. mentors to develop innovative solutions for community challenges. Marlee Henderson, Global Philanthropy Senior Associate at JPMorgan Chase & Co., comments on the program’s effectiveness, “Through this approach we are able to deepen partnerships with our community partners by engaging JPMC employees in providing young people with the coaching and feedback on their higher-order skills that we know will be invaluable as they pursue their career aspirations.”
The collaboration began in 2019 as a summer program in three cities. In 2020, it grew to five cities, with virtual meetings because of COVID-19. This year, the program expanded to six cities with cohorts meeting virtually twice a year. For each cohort, the program culminates with a celebratory pitch presentation during which the groups of young people share their challenges, investigations, methods, and solutions with a panel of JP Morgan Chase & Co. executives for evaluation.
At the celebratory pitch session in Boston, youth displayed what they learned from the rich curriculum through in-depth SWOT analyses and SMART goals, explaining how they would solve community challenges in diverse ways. Presentations were reviewed on creativity, confidence, content, and storytelling. The Boston mentees took on the challenges of increasing financial literacy for young people, increasing access to healthy food, the impact of COVID-19 on the childcare industry, and environmental justice.
After the student presentations, JP Morgan Chase & Co. executives asked questions, provided feedback, and shared insight. At the end of the event, Beth Sullivan from JP Morgan Chase & Co. said, “My colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all of the presentations … we learned something from all of you. The statistics you presented were great, and the top-of-mind issues – such as COVID-19 childcare and environmental issues – were relevant and made it more impactful.” Janeen Smith, manager of training and technical assistance from Mass Mentoring Partnership, closed the event with the following remarks to mentees, “For six weeks, you built networks, learned skills for your future, engaged with your community, and formed relationships with mentors you just met. Thank you for working together, and working with us. We’re proud of you.” A circle of thanks networking event ended the inspiring session.
MENTOR’s Director of Workforce Development Charline Alexandre-Joseph comments on the impact of the program for all participants, “Young people received hands-on support and feedback from seasoned JP Morgan Chase & Co. professionals, expanded their networks, and received valuable insight into the way corporations work. MENTOR Affiliates engaged with new partners and gained networking connections to grow the mentoring movement. And JP Morgan Chase & Co. mentors received an invaluable lens into the way young people think and work together. It’s a fabulous opportunity to bring individuals together who otherwise may never cross paths, and I am so excited to think about how these types of connections promote professional growth for all involved.”
Next year, MENTOR and JPMorgan Chase & Co. expect to see the program expand into more cities, taking the best of the virtual and in-person collaborations to make the program even more successful.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EFFECTIVE PRACTICES FOR MENTORING
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MENTOR’s workplace mentoring resource is a how-to guide of best practices for workplace mentoring programs. Produced with generous support from JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Workplace Supplement to the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring is the latest in MENTOR’s series of relevant and timely supplements to the cornerstone publication, Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring.