19 Colleges and Universities Partner with Strive for College to Help Underrepresented Minorities Secure a First Job with the Nation's Leading Employers

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Strive for College today announced a new collaboration with nineteen colleges and nine leading employers to create career opportunities for millions of low-income students as they enter an unprecedented labor market. The partnerships grant students access to a virtual mentoring platform that pairs students from low-income backgrounds with working adult mentors who can help them identify career opportunities and gain the sorts of workplace-ready skills that employers need.

"Strive for College allows our students to virtually explore careers and expand their professional networks, far ahead of graduation day," said Sarah Scott, Associate Dean and Director of the Grissom Scholars Program at Centre College. "By connecting students with trained mentors and working adults at leading employers, we are expanding their career options."

Participating universities include: Bates College, Case Western Reserve University, Centre College, Coastal Carolina University, Concordia University Texas, Framingham State University, Huston-Tillotson University, Indiana University Bloomington, Louisiana College, Monroe College, Old Dominion University, Sacramento State, Spokane Falls Community College, St. Olaf College, St. Edwards University, Stanford University, Texas State University, Walsh University, and Webb Institute.

Participating employer partners include: Alight Solutions, American Express, Amgen, Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, Clearsulting, Deloitte, Palo Alto Networks, UBS, and UPS.

"Our participation in Strive On will help the next generation of diverse innovators access meaningful pathways to a college education," said Eduardo Cetlin, President of Amgen Foundation. "At the same time, we know that employees are eager to give back to underserved communities, and this virtual program allows them to do so in an impactful way, no matter where in the country they are working from." 

In the wake of the pandemic-induced recession, college graduates are facing a tight labor market. Nearly half of spring 2020 college graduates are still looking for work. And although overall unemployment numbers are down from March 2020, youth unemployment has remained at nearly double the national average. Employers like Amgen, Deloitte, and UBS are taking steps to attract early talent through partnerships with Strive, while encouraging employees to help diverse students expand their networks.

"Strive for College is giving students access to great jobs and the supportive network needed to achieve economic mobility," said Michael J. Carter, CEO of Strive for College. "Through the power of technology, we are connecting the nation's leading employers with diverse students at some of our country's foremost universities."

Strive for College helps students gain the skills--and connections--they need to succeed after they graduate. The platform, which includes one-to-one virtual mentoring, has reached over 1.2 million students total. In the midst of the pandemic, Strive has seen a massive increase in demand: in May 2020, 19 times more students picked a mentor than in May 2019 and user engagement has increased 600% since the pandemic started in March 2020.

About Strive for College

Strive for College has helped over 1.2 million students get to college, graduate, and achieve living wage jobs. Our all-virtual platform, UStrive, matches students with trained volunteer mentors and allows them to securely communicate, collaborate, access resources and share guidance as they navigate the path to and through higher education. 97% of Strive students go on to college and take on little or no debt for tuition as a result of scholarships or financial aid that their mentors help them secure.

SOURCE Strive for College