KPMG impacting diversity and social inclusion through a Mentoring Programme for immigrant job seekers
KPMG has finished the seventh term of the Financial Services Mentoring Programme run in cooperation with the EPIC Programme in Business in the Community Ireland. Since 2011, a total of 25 KPMG staff have volunteered to support 30 immigrants through one-to-one mentoring meetings. The sessions have helped participants to develop knowledge of the Irish financial sector and increase their job seeking skills.
Afifa Rahman originally from Bangladesh was recently supported through this initiative. ‘Having a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and a Chartered Accountancy practical training course I thought it wouldn’t take long to find a job in Ireland. Unfortunately it took me nearly 5 years to secure employment and the mentoring sessions with the KPMG volunteer were crucial to this. I learned how to tailor my CV for jobs in the financial sector. My mentor prepared me when I got shortlisted for interviews and her support and advice helped me to get the job that I had waited for, for so long’. Afifa is now working in the finance department of a large communications company.
Fiona Bresnihan got involved as a mentor to try and have an impact on another’s person life. ‘I wanted to help people to achieve their goal of working in the financial sector and having a local with expert knowledge in the area could make it easier to be successful. I enjoyed getting to know Afifa and being able to help her in her journey to employment in Ireland. As a mentor I was able to develop my own interpersonal skills, got to know another culture and learned a lot about immigrants in Ireland and the difficulties they face’.
After participation in the Financial Services Mentoring Programme a total of 17 mentees found jobs within the financial sector, 4 decided to go into training related to the area and, 4 found work placement opportunities in financial companies.
If you would like to find out more about mentoring immigrant job seekers and how to get involved, please contact our Business Action on Employment team employmentprogrammes@bitc.ie
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