i.c.stars and Accenture Launch Skills Manual for Non-Profit Organizations
CHICAGO, March 22, 2010 -- i.c.stars, a Chicago-based, non-profit job training program for young adults, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) are issuing a new, step-by-step manual for non-profit organizations, which documents how i.c.stars operates its innovative IT and professional skills training program. The program places young adults with high school diplomas or GEDs into career-track IT jobs, and i.c.stars is making the manual public through its online documentation repository or “wiki.”
The effort is part of Accenture’s corporate citizenship focus -- Skills to Succeed -- which emphasizes the importance of education, nurturing talent and building skills in order to have a significant and lasting effect on the economic well-being of individuals and their communities.
“We are eager to share information with other non-profits,” said Benjamin Harris, i.c.stars program coordinator and i.c.stars alumnus who worked on the project. “There is a set of problems that is transferable across many non-profit organizations,” he added, citing online enrollment, volunteer management, funding and program management as examples.
"This project demonstrates Accenture’s commitment to building skills that benefit both individuals and their families, as well as the communities in which they live and work,” said Bob Kress, senior executive at Accenture. “i.c.stars’ desire to offer free information about their skills training program is a clear example of making a real difference in the long-term vibrancy and vitality of young people, their families and their communities.”
Additionally, through a grant from Boeing (NYSE: BA), i.c.stars interns are using information gathered through the manual to build an online, non-profit tracking system for the Chicago-based Guild for the Blind. The project mirrors the system being developed for i.c.stars to recruit and manage its participants and volunteers, which i.c.stars can now provide at an affordable rate to other non-profits. This is part of the organization’s social enterprise program, Bridges, through which i.c.stars alumni work as consultants to deploy and configure systems for other non-profits.
"Boeing believes that supporting social enterprises creates opportunities for non-profits with the potential to become self-sustaining and create jobs while generating revenue," said Nora Moreno Cargie, director of Global Corporate Citizenship at Boeing.
About i.c.stars
Formed in 1999, i.c.stars is a non-profit organization in Chicago for adults with a high school diploma or GED. Using project-based learning and full-immersion teaching, i.c.stars provides opportunities to develop skills in business and technology. i.c.stars’ goal is to develop 1,000 Community Leaders by 2020. i.c.stars places 100 percent of its qualified graduates in jobs with average annual earnings of $35,700. Before completing the program, participants typically earn around $16,600. In 2006, i.c.stars partnered with DePaul University to ensure that i.c.stars alumni are admitted to the CDM and SNL Bachelors of Science program. Learn more on the Web at www.i.c.stars.org or visit the results of the project at the i.c.stars wiki at http://wiki.icstars.org/index.php/TEP
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 176,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.58 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2009. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About Boeing
Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 154,000 people in 70 countries and serves customers in 145 countries. Its product lines and services include commercial jetliners, military aircraft, rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles, and advanced information and communication systems. The company’s total revenue in 2009 was $68.3 billion. Its home page is www.boeing.com
Contact:
Eric Lannert
i.c.stars
(312) 640-3782
elannert@icstars.org
Caitlin Storhaug
Accenture
(415) 537-5458