4 days ago
Accenture supports mentorship programmes for pre-employment youths
[SINGAPORE] Professional services company Accenture announced that it is supporting youth mentorship programmes this year, at its 50th anniversary dinner at Raffles Hotel on Monday (Jun 2).
In partnership with The Astronauts Collective (TAC), the programmes target pre-employment youths and aim to provide them with skills and exposure to the digital economy. TAC is a charity that helps youths explore the working world and find meaningful careers.
Through the programmes, Accenture employees will act as mentors and provide career guidance. They plan to commit 5,000 hours over two years and work mainly with secondary and tertiary students who are still in school.
Mark Tham, country managing director of Accenture Singapore, said: 'Globally, many developed countries are struggling because of problems with youth. This is something we want to prevent from happening. With the right infrastructure and education system we have here, there's no reason for us to leave the youth unmanaged.'
In particular, youths will learn about cybersecurity, problem-solving, critical thinking, digital literacy and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
'As a net talent creator, we are focused on growing Singapore's digital talent pipeline – equipping individuals with future-ready skills and creating opportunities that extend beyond our own workforce,' he said.
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Tham added that the company will draw on its 'global expertise in AI, skilling and digital transformation' while supporting Singapore's Smart Nation 2.0 strategy, which aims to position the country as a global hub for innovation and technology.
Accenture is supporting TAC's Day X Program, a hands-on workshop that introduces youths to opportunities in tech and consulting. It is also partnering TAC for the JumpStart Career Mentoring Programme, which provides personalised support for students.
JumpStart will run for six months and assist youths in their school-to-work transition. It aims to help them search and explore career options, secure opportunities, start a new job on good footing, and sustain their career while growing their skill set.
After Accenture volunteers sign up, TAC trains them and pairs youths with a mentoring case manager who gives personalised support. Participants in JumpStart also have access to individual mentors, with a 1:1 mentor-to-mentee ratio.
Day X started in May, and will roll out again in October. Meanwhile, JumpStart will commence later this year.
Tham said there is potential for the programmes to be scaled up and for the volunteers to commit more hours.
TAC has benefited more than 40,000 youths since 2015. It connected with Accenture via Mentoring SG, a movement launched by then deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong in end-2022 offering mentoring opportunities to youths.
On Monday, Accenture also announced that it would donate S$500,000 to the President's Challenge, in line with its 50th anniversary and SG60 this year. The initiative will support 60 programmes from 52 organisations in 2025.
The company will join Community Chest's Share programme, which allows employees to donate to social causes on a monthly basis.
Accenture has around 3,600 employees and has partnered government agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Changi Airport for digitalisation initiatives.
