J.P. Morgan has collaborated with the Beacon Foundation and Social Ventures Australia (SVA) to deliver a series of “Business Blackboards” to 152 Commerce, Economics and Legal Studies students across five of Sydney’s most disadvantaged high schools through a partnership which aims to inspire and prepare young people for life after school.

Beacon’s Business Blackboards bring industry directly into the classroom to create dynamic learning experiences and real world problem solving.  These blackboards are designed to engage students to give them an idea of how their high school lessons can be applied to jobs that will provide meaningful employment beyond the school gates, thus avoiding a life of welfare dependency.

Working with teachers, fourteen J.P. Morgan executives co-designed diverse lesson plans and activities to encourage young people to explore their interests, challenge stereotypes and engage in fun activities. One lesson examined the Economic Cycle and how the flow of money in the economy can drive a recession or boom period while another explored risk and return and the different investment options using the lively example of a Lamborghini taxi company. Executives co-delivered the lessons to the students to show first hand how their curriculum choices and interests link to a wide range of banking career options and how a career in banking is an option for anyone with the ability and commitment.

Unfortunately, this realization doesn’t come readily to all students and so Beacon’s approach is about linking educators and young people in schools to the business community to broaden a student’s understanding of the range of career options available to them and the core skills required to succeed in the workplace.

“A student’s journey to a successful career starts long before job, college or university applications are made.  The commitment in terms of hard work and achievement is essential, but before that must come the awareness that there are a wide range of meaningful careers and that these are options for disadvantaged kids too. It’s our partnership with businesses such as J.P. Morgan that help us to raise aspiration and attainment amongst young people from poorer backgrounds,” said Beacon Foundation CEO Scott Harris.

Through this outreach program some students have visited J.P. Morgan’s corporate environment including the fixed income and equities trading floors in Sydney’s CBD and have been given the opportunity to talk first-hand with executives and ask questions about how the business operates.

J.P. Morgan worked with SVA to develop the partnership with Beacon Foundation which includes funding to expand the Real Futures Generation program in New South Wales and Victoria.