InRoads is designed for high school students aged 16-17 years who live in disadvantaged areas where youth unemployment is highest and have no post-school plan for study or employment. It offers the opportunity to learn about technology careers and pathways to employment and gain employability skills through workshops, mentoring and work experience.

A J.P. Morgan initiative open to the whole member network, other ABCN member companies who have partnered on InRoads by providing mentors, hosting careers days and offering work experience include PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Microsoft Australia, Optus and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

To launch the program, Paul Gladigau, Senior Technology Officer at J.P. Morgan hosted 60 students at the company’s Sydney office for a Careers Day with an introduction to the range of technology careers available. The experience opened their eyes to fact that technology runs through each part of the business and introduced them to mentors working in various technology careers.

Mary from Chester Hill High School recently took part in the program. Despite her obvious intelligence her teachers reported that she was disengaged and attended school reluctantly. Her one passion however, was technology.

Mary remained enrolled at school for Year 12 largely due to her commitment to the InRoads program. A stand-out student at an InRoads Careers Day, her engagement and enthusiasm earned her selection for work experience at CBA. Since then she’s been proactive in shaping her future, enrolling in an IT certificate at TAFE and taking advantage of the networking opportunities made available to her through the program.

‘If InRoads hadn’t existed, Mary could very easily have dropped out of school altogether’, says the school’s Transition Advisor. ‘Instead, it’s provided her with a real goal and the work experience in particular has opened her eyes to so many options available. InRoads gave her focus, purpose and opportunity – she can see the possibilities and she’s making the most of it.’

Over 30 students have taken part in work experience at ABCN member companies since the program launched in August 2015. These work experience opportunities are a crucial component of the InRoads program, providing insight into the reality of working life and an opportunity to experience the various roles and functions of different departments which teachers comment is often the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ for many students.