Accenture Joins іSí! The New American Workforce Scholarship and Internship Program

Combines customized scholarships and internships for Latino students

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Princeton, N.J. (November 15, 2010) —

Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the ASPIRA Association, Inc. are pleased to announce that Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, is joining the initiative to sponsor and implement iSí! The New American Workforce Scholarship and Internship Program.

Developed by ETS and ASPIRA, iSí! links students to the workplace early in their academic careers. The combination of the scholarship and internship with mentor and intern training provides a comprehensive, mutually beneficial experience. The customized approach makes each iSí! Program unique, enabling corporations to acquire talent relevant to core business requirements and to develop human capital and increase diversity at higher levels of employment.

"The iSí! Program is helping ETS to further its social mission of advancing quality and equity in education by assisting corporations in increasing the employment and retention of Hispanic students in order to meet the diversity demands of the 21st-century workplace and the exceedingly competitive global economy," ETS President and CEO Kurt Landgraf said.

According to ETS's 2009 report of a lecture by Dr. Marta Tienda of Princeton University, "Hispanicity and Educational Inequality: Risks, Opportunities and the Nation's Future," Hispanics account for more than one third of the 100 million persons added to the U.S. population between 1967 and 2006. By 2030, more than 40 percent of the U.S. population is projected to be "minority," with Hispanics comprising at least half of that share, or at least one in five U.S. residents. Hispanics will comprise a larger segment of the U.S. labor force in the years ahead. As such, their success is critical to and will have direct implications on the nation's economy and its capacity to compete in the international arena.

Accenture's sponsorship of iSí! reflects the company's "Skills to Succeed" initiative which is committed to equipping 250,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. Accenture's iSí! Program includes a three-semester or three-summer internship along with guidance and support from an Accenture mentor. By participating in the program, students will develop a working knowledge of Accenture's business and begin to develop the essential professional skills required for high-level careers.

Students who participate in Accenture's customized program will receive paid summer internships, along with guidance and support from Accenture mentors.

"iSí! is an innovative program that helps Latino students develop the skills and opportunities they need to successfully begin a career," said LaMae Allen deJongh, managing director of U.S. Human Capital and Diversity at Accenture. "This is a natural fit for Accenture, since growing the skills and diverse talents of our people is at the heart of our business and maximizes our ability to deliver high performance to our clients."

Applications for Accenture's iSí! Program will be accepted beginning November 15, 2010. Application information is found at http://www.aspira.org/si. Accenture seeks applications from college juniors and seniors who are enrolled as full-time students and who have high academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, work experience and excellent communication skills. Four scholarships — two for rising juniors and two for rising seniors — will be awarded in May 2011.

iSí! The New American Workforce Scholarship and Internship Program services include:

  • Program design and planning
  • Applicant pool development
  • Verifiably fair and objective candidate review
  • Academic progress and internship monitoring
  • Ongoing program evaluation
  • Mentor training

Companies seeking more information about iSí! The New American Workforce Scholarship and Internship Program should contact Linda Bailey, Client Relations Manager at (609) 243-6545.

About ETS

At nonprofit ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

About ASPIRA Association, Inc.

The ASPIRA Association, a 501(C)(3) organization, is the only national Hispanic organization dedicated exclusively to developing the educational and leadership capacity of Hispanic youth. Since 1961, ASPIRA has been working at the grass-roots level to provide programs that encourage Hispanic students to stay in school, prepare them to succeed in the educational arena, develop their leadership skills, and to serve their community. It is organized in seven states and Puerto Rico and has extensive national presence through its partnerships with hundreds of regional, state and local education CBOs. It currently serves over 55,000 students each year through its ASPIRA Clubs in schools and its after-school education and guidance programs. ASPIRA also operates charter schools in four states. http://www.aspira.org/si.