In the United States, 1.3 million low-income and first-generation students enroll in college each year, but only 30% graduate and secure a strong first job. To address this, Deloitte US and Braven are driving new approaches that help create and address social change. Braven’s mission is to “empower promising underrepresented young people, including first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students of color, with the skills, confidence, and experiences they need to graduate from college and transition into their first jobs”.
As students like Latrel access a network of professional mentors, they can gain the tools needed to help unlock new opportunities, and find quality employment. More than 4 out of 5 Braven Fellows secure meaningful roles that lead to career-accelerating possibilities.
“Equity matters. Creating opportunities and pathways for people to be able to have phenomenal job opportunities can put them on a different trajectory and create change in the world.”
- Dana O’Donovan, practice leader, Monitor Institute by Deloitte
Emphasizing the opportunities that empower youth to become the next generation of leaders, Braven’s strength is enabling students to build the skills they need to gain a good first job, thrive in a workplace that aligns their work with their interests, and generate upward economic mobility.
Students in the program, known as Braven Fellows, receive support from Deloitte US in many ways. From professional mentors and leadership coaches to mock interviews and career panels, volunteers from Deloitte US work alongside Fellows to expose them to different careers and possibilities that are available to them. Together, Deloitte US and Braven are building bridges between education, skills training, and employment for students, demonstrating what’s possible when you explore new pathways.
By contributing to a solution that builds a generation of leaders as diverse as our future demands, we’re empowering students to discover the true extent of their potential and excel anywhere in the world.
The relationship with Braven is a part of the broader Deloitte US commitment to help increase social and economic mobility, especially for those facing the greatest barriers to prosperity. In collaboration with organizations and initiatives across the public and private sectors, Deloitte US is developing solutions needed to help create change across the areas of education and workforce development, financial inclusion, and health equity. By collaborating with leaders, groups, and communities closest to the issues, and enabling them to strengthen their local efforts, Deloitte US is taking action to help create equity within society and generate positive change.
The US Deloitte Foundation is dedicated to accelerating innovation and equity in education and is proud to support Braven’s efforts to empower students as they aspire to meaningful careers. The Foundation has committed $1.5 million to propel students majoring in accounting, finance, business, computer engineering, information technology, and other disciplines along their educational journeys through the Braven experience, in addition to serving as lead sponsor of the Professional Mentoring Program. Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation.