Grant Will Support Career Development Programs for Young Adults in Delaware
NEWARK, Del — The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable arm of Sallie Mae®, reinforced its commitment to building prosperous futures through a $150,000 grant to Year Up Wilmington. The contribution, presented during a ceremony at Wilmington University in New Castle, will support the non-profit’s workforce development programs for local young adults.
In attendance at the event were leadership and employees from both Sallie Mae and Year Up Wilmington, including Bonnie Rumbold, senior vice president, chief human resources officer, Sallie Mae, and Hassan Charles, executive director, Year Up Greater Philadelphia and Wilmington, and more than 60 Year Up students.
“There are over 5 million young adults in the U.S., ages 18-24, who are disconnected from employment and education due to socio-economic inequities. Meanwhile, America’s employers face a real and growing need for talent. Our mission is to close the opportunity divide by empowering young adults and connecting them to promising positions that businesses, like Sallie Mae, are trying to fill,” said Hassan Charles, executive director, Year Up Greater Philadelphia and Wilmington. “We are grateful for Sallie Mae’s continued support to move opportunity youth into living wages and meaningful careers”.
Year Up Wilmington offers coaching and hands-on skill development programs for 18-24-year-olds. Year Up’s training, internships, and partnership with Wilmington University have enabled hundreds of young adults to kickstart their careers. Eighty percent of the program’s graduates are employed or enrolled in postsecondary education within four months of completing the program.
“Year Up Wilmington is an invaluable resource, both for students and businesses in Delaware,” said Bonnie Rumbold, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, Sallie Mae, and Year Up board member. “Tapping into their strong pipeline of talent, we’ve hired several employees through this program. We’re proud to work together to empower the community’s young adults with a pathway to achieve their professional and personal dreams.”
Through its partnership with Year Up, Sallie Mae has offered paid internships and career opportunities to Year Up program graduates. In addition, Rumbold was recently honored with the Corporate Champion Award from Year Up Wilmington.
Since 2014, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded nearly $2 million in grants to non-profit organizations in the communities in which its employees live and work. For more information about Sallie Mae’s efforts in the community, visit SallieMae.com.
The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable arm of Sallie Mae, expands pathways for the successful development of youth, works to open doors to higher education, and supports employee volunteerism and communities, including those where Sallie Mae employees live and work. Since 2014 alone, it has awarded nearly $2 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations.
Source: Sallie Mae
