July 2020

JPMorgan Chase is creating training and employment opportunities for young people around the world through its Emerging Talent Programs (ETP). These programs complement the firm's traditional recruiting methods by focusing on diverse talent often underrepresented in typical recruiting channels.

“Too many young people are being left behind without the education, skills and experience needed to get well-paying jobs," said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase. “Now, more than ever, businesses, government and communities must work together to prepare young people for the future of work so they have a better shot at building a good financial life for themselves and their families."

Emerging Talent Programs (ETP) support this vision by creating new opportunities. In addition to its efforts to recruit diverse talent, ETP also builds on the firm's commitment to prepare youth for the future of work through the New Skills at Work initiative.

The Future Pipeline programs introduce younger populations to JPMorgan Chase. The programs don't result in immediate employment opportunities but help build a talent pipeline. For example, FinTech Focus is a four-week immersive program for incoming university freshmen with an interest in finance, computer science and technology.

“We started this program to inspire more young people to learn how to code and spark their interest with a career in financial services technology," said Julia Backon, Head of Firmwide Youth Pathways for Emerging Talent Programs. “Although this program is philanthropic in nature, we plan to stay connected to future program participants throughout their university experiences. We aim to keep them inspired to continue their tech studies and consider returning to JPMorgan Chase in the future."

Similarly, the U.K. Work Experience program introduces students ages 15-18 to the company over a one-week period. They learn about the business and engage with employees to learn about their day-to-day roles. The students also participate in team-building activities and career development programs including resume workshops, interview techniques and mock assessment centers. The U.K. Work Experience program attracts a diverse pool of applicants — 40 percent of accepted participants come from traditionally diverse backgrounds and there is nearly equal gender representation.

The internship/apprenticeship programs include non-campus internships and formal apprenticeships.

Under the internship/apprentice umbrella, the firm has worked with Year Up, a nonprofit workforce development organization dedicated to closing the opportunity divide by connecting young adults ages 18-24 without college degrees to entry-level corporate internships. Since the partnership began in 2007, JPMorgan Chase has welcomed more than 1,420 Year Up interns and hired more than 640 Year Up graduates as full-time employees.

“The Year Up program has changed my life in more ways than I could ever imagine," said Taylor Sullivan, a former intern. “I have been molded into a hard-working individual on a personal mission dedicated to furthering my education. Year Up and JPMorgan Chase taught me to discover my true value and never count myself out."

The Brazil Apprenticeship program provides young talent from low-income backgrounds in Brazil with a chance to gain a robust administrative and operation skillset. The apprentices divide their time between work in the firm and mandatory training provided by a local nonprofit partner. The apprentices can then be considered for an internship with the local partner at the end of their session if they are pursuing a bachelor's degree.

“Being an apprentice has not only been a milestone in my career but also in my life as a whole," said Wagner Trindade, an associate in Cross Business and Innovation Technology. “I joined JPMorgan Chase at 15, which means a great part of my worldview was developed at the firm with the help of excellent professionals and people I've been blessed to be friends with. The program grants a professional opportunity to the impoverished, which can directly change their fate in every aspect."

Direct to Full-Time programs help welcome talent into full-time roles and formal campus opportunities, including bootcamps and workforce development programs. Zip Code Wilmington is a 12-week coding bootcamp that rapidly trains individuals with minimal coding experience to become entry-level software engineers after graduation. Since the launch, the firm has hired more than 150 program graduates. Similarly, 12 individuals who are either deaf or hard of hearing, blind or orthopedically impaired have joined the firm in India through Tech Connect, a 13-week reskilling program that also brings in talent to entry-level Java development roles.

“Employers like JPMorgan Chase could either hope to fill and diversify our workforce with limited pipelines, or we can broaden our options and create ways to meet talent where they really are," Marano said. “That is what we are doing with Emerging Talent Programs."