Focus on Responsible Growth to Live Your Values
By Matt Elliott
Talented young Michiganders are thinking about more than just a paycheck in today’s job market. They’re looking for employers who are engaged in the community and whose work is connected to a larger purpose.
At Bank of America, we believe our focus on responsible growth allows our employees to live their values and their purpose. We are also committed to the “Power of &”, as our success comes from successfully serving our communities and the people living in them. And we offer programs to engage young talent at critical levels in their development.
For example, the bank’s Student Leaders® program offers high school students eight-week, paid internships at local nonprofits where they learn skills development, leadership and service. The program helps build a student’s professional skills and experience while addressing challenges facing our community.
The bank’s partnership with Year Up – an organization that helps young adults ages 18-29 earn paid internships to learn skills and grow careers in key industries – debuted this summer with its first group of Bank of America interns in Detroit. We’re excited to say many of them have since become full-time employees.
Beyond our programs, Bank of America believes in working to build a culture of purpose through career development, and by encouraging volunteerism in an inclusive environment where everyone can be authentically themselves. Mental health and wellness, as well as financial wellness programs, provide additional opportunities for the bank to support our employees and grow our talent pool.
We understand it’s important for business leaders in the region like Bank of America to deliver real-world opportunities to attract and retain young talent. But we also know it’s equally as important to appeal to their sense of purpose and community engagement.
In the end, we want these programs to help us achieve an important goal —developing an experienced young workforce with purpose and mobility to lead Michigan into the future.
Matt Elliott is Michigan’s Market President at Bank of America.