On June 5, Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School (AoH) partnered with Deloitte for Deloitte Impact Day.
Deloitte Impact Day is an annual day of service where Deloitte professionals engage with thousands of organizations across the country to drive positive impact and strengthen communities. This is Deloitte’s second year serving adult workforce learners at AoH on Impact Day.
This year’s theme at AoH was Digital Skills for Employment and Career Advancement, with a focus on Information Technology (IT) career paths. The event opened with a panel discussion, How I Got Here, featuring Deloitte professionals Brandi Humphries, Charles Neal, and Samantha Kennedy, moderated by Nicole Lazzaro.
“I believe in the Academy’s mission and was grateful to help its community build digital skills and resilience through Deloitte’s Impact Day partnership,” Brandi Humphries said.
Together, they discussed their first jobs, their paths to Deloitte, and their insights into how technology has impacted the way they work. They also provided advice and boosted morale among adult learners with non-traditional educational or career paths, encouraging them to leverage their unique journeys to stand out as job applicants.
“Every experience you have had to date is setting you up to some sort of new opportunity … how would some of my earlier life experiences translate into an asset that will be critical for this next role I’m trying to pursue,” – Charles Neal
“Adults who come from a non-traditional educational or career path are curious. Their curiosity extends to continuous learning, and they are eager to take on any opportunity that is presented to them.” – Brandi Humphries
After the panel, learners transitioned into two breakout sessions, diving into the critical digital skills needed to help boost confidence when interacting in professional settings.
The Professional Communication & Networking session led by Samantha and Charles discussed emails (subject lines, signatures, and reply etiquette), direct messaging (norms and response times), and Zoom (camera, background, and application functions). Learners also followed along with a live demonstration of how to write a professional email.
The LinkedIn & Networking session led by Nicole and Sophia Rogers focused on building a strong LinkedIn profile and the purpose of the platform: to connect with industry professionals with a purpose. They also showed learners how to craft a post-event networking follow-up message that will convert into a connection.
Afterwards, learners regrouped to summarize the panel and breakout rooms takeaways, and had the opportunity to ask the Deloitte professionals additional questions surrounding digital skills or other factors when searching for or applying for roles in IT.
We are incredibly grateful for Deloitte’s partnership and its dedication to adult learners in Washington, DC. Gifting their time and knowledge helped adult learners gain the digital skills needed as they transition into a career in IT, influencing economic mobility for themselves, their families, and their communities.