Every one of us appreciates the value of diversity and wants to ensure college students and recent grads have equitable pathways to professional careers at our organizations. Unfortunately, many of the efforts in place to do this aren’t having the impact we hope. While these programs have the best intentions, for many of these Career Launchers the underlying obstacles in the recruiting, assessment, and engagement process remain.
Given the importance of diversity initiatives for companies and students alike, next Thursday (11/5) I will be hosting a panel with the leaders of four non-profits that work closely with college students, companies, and universities to improve college-to-career transitions. During this discussion, leaders from the Dell Foundation, University Innovation Alliance, Winning Edge, and TheDream.US will highlight the challenges inherent in many corporate DEI efforts, especially as so many companies prioritize diversity in their recruiting efforts.
They will also share actionable strategies that companies can use to complement their current efforts to enhance business and social impact. Although the students supported by each of these organizations are unique (e.g., first-generation college students, diverse student-athletes, underrepresented students at large universities, and DACA dreamers), the benefits to companies of providing equitable opportunities are consistent.
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