Joins Boston's Private Industry Council Working
Group Alongside Financial Services Firms to Build Diverse Talent
Pipeline
BOSTON, July 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ - Today, John Hancock,
a unit of Toronto-based Manulife,
announced the start of its annual MLK Scholars Program, which
provides summer jobs, financial education, and professional
development opportunities to Boston youth. Now in its 17th year,
John Hancock has invested over
$17 million to fund the program and
has created career opportunities for more than 6,000
underrepresented students.
This summer, in partnership with the City of Boston, John
Hancock is sponsoring the employment of hundreds of
Boston teens at its offices and 25
local non-profits across the city. The MLK Scholars Program
leverages youth employment to build capacity within the non-profit
community for summer programming and to create opportunities for
long-term employment within the city's public and private sectors.
The program benefits the organizations that employ MLK Scholars by
engaging Boston's diverse student
population in potential career paths in their industries.
"At John Hancock, we
fundamentally believe in the role we can play as a large employer
in Boston to develop a diverse
talent pipeline that can help level the playing field for those who
do not have equal access to the type of work experiences that are
key to building long-term skills, self-confidence and financial
empowerment," said Brooks Tingle,
president and CEO of John Hancock.
"It's why, for 17 years, we have invested in this program that
means so much to not just us, but to so many Bostonians. We're
proud to work alongside the city's summer jobs program to create
inclusive economic opportunities and foster the local talent that
will drive the future of not just our industry, but our great
city."
"Providing equitable access to the best opportunities is an
important goal we have as a City across all different career paths
and age ranges," said Mayor Michelle
Wu. "I am grateful to John
Hancock and our partners for connecting our young people
with these professional experiences and networking opportunities
and helping emphasize the importance of youth employment and
financial education."
For the second consecutive year, John
Hancock is collaborating with the Boston Private Industry
Council (Boston PIC) to host two in-person networking events during
July and August. The events, which John
Hancock will host at its Boston headquarters, will be open to this
year's MLK Scholars as well as summer interns from companies
participating in the Boston PIC's working group of financial
services companies across Boston.
These firms, which include the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Liberty Mutual, State Street,
Fidelity, and Santander, among others, are collaborating to develop
a pipeline of high school students interested and prepared for
careers in business and finance. The events will feature financial
literacy activities and networking sessions that will allow
students the chance to connect with peers from the participating
financial service firms and nonprofit organizations, in addition to
honing their budgeting skills.
A key component of the MLK Scholars Program is offering students
access to the John Hancock Well-Being Education Center, a
one-of-a-kind digital curation of financial and mental wellness
resources for young adults created with EVERFI, a financial
literacy platform. The center features digital learning modules
focused on personal finance topics ranging from financing higher
education and savings to identity protection and taxes. EVERFI will
run the networking events for students throughout the summer.
John Hancock's MLK Scholars
Program supports Manulife's Impact Agenda, which seeks to drive
inclusive economic opportunities to create a more even playing
field for all. For more information about the MLK Scholars program,
visit
https://www.johnhancock.com/about-us/community-investment/mlk-nonprofit.html.
About John Hancock and
Manulife
John Hancock is a unit of
Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial
services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and
lives better by providing financial advice, insurance, and wealth
and asset management solutions. Manulife Financial Corporation
trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK.
Manulife can be found at manulife.com.
One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports more than ten million
Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life
insurance and annuities. John
Hancock also supports US investors by bringing leading
investment capabilities and retirement planning and administration
expertise to individuals and institutions. Additional information
about John Hancock may be found at
johnhancock.com.
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SOURCE John Hancock