The week of October 9, more than 8,000 people will attend Workday Rising in Chicago. And just like previous conferences, we’ll invite attendees to participate in activities that give back to the community. This year, we’re very excited to support Year Up, a non-profit organization that’s having a huge impact on the lives of young people across the U.S.
Year Up offers a one-year, intensive training program at 21 locations for underserved young adults, aged 18 through 24. Students spend six months developing technical and professional skills in the classroom, including coursework eligible for college credits. Students then apply those skills during a six-month internship at one of Year Up’s corporate partners.
Among the Year Up students that have taken internships at Workday, more than 60 percent have become full-time employees. In addition to our internship program, the Workday Foundation has provided $1 million in funding to this exceptional organization. And with Chicago as our host city for Workday Rising this year, we’ll be donating $100,000 to Year Up Chicago.
Year Up encourages students to project a professional image from the start. For every day of their classroom training and corporate internships—even if their host company is casual—Year Up students are expected to dress in business casual attire. This means no jeans! However, it’s often difficult for underprivileged young adults to gain access to that kind of wardrobe.