For nearly 60 years, Cognizant Foundation grantee partner JA Central Ontario has supported young adults in Canada as they prepare to enter the workforce. The JA team works with its partners to facilitate learning experiences that promote financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness skills, using real-world opportunities to make the information as useful as possible. 

Through JA’s Company Program, a local effort to connect young people with career opportunities and the world of entrepreneurship, high school students spend 18 weeks with volunteer mentors who empower them to build, run and promote their own businesses. Cognizant associates have teamed up with JA on four student-led teams, as well as to lead the virtual Battle of the Ads workshop and competition within the broader Company Program.

“What’s unique about this program is that it brings students out of their comfort zone to discover their strengths,” says Jennifer Holmes Weier, President and CEO at JA Central Ontario. “We have students who have never spoken in public spaces before who are now confident speakers, advocating for the companies they’ve founded in front of our corporate partners.”

The Company Program helps young entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to realize their full potential — a unique opportunity for both students and employer mentors. Participating high school students are not only able to connect with peers and mentors, but also develop essential skills that boost their confidence and create opportunities for success.

When Christina, a 10th-grade student at Agincourt Collegiate Institute in Toronto, began the Company Program, she expected to make a few new friends and have something to add to her resume, but her experience was far more impactful than she initially imagined it would be.

“I’m so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned that not only impact me right now but will also help guide me in the future,” said Christina. “I developed strong leadership skills, great communication and formed valuable relationships with my peers in the program that will help guide my plans for years to come.”

What’s more, many students discover new passions that lead to career paths and opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise explored. These students often return to the Company Program the following year to find themselves in new positions with increased responsibility and greater real-world challenges, which helps them further develop skills in leadership, negotiation, management and finance.

Jai Aswani, a Cognizant associate and program mentor, learned about the Company Program while researching Cognizant Outreach volunteer opportunities—Cognizant associates volunteered more than 165,000 hours in 2021, including many opportunities with Cognizant Foundation grantee partners. 

Even though he spends many of his days working with teams across the globe, through his experience with JA Central Ontario, Jai says he has been able to meaningfully engage with his local community and serve as a representative of Cognizant.

“It gives me a sense of pride to be a part of the local community, and to be a part of a program that brings the real world to high school students. I often find myself wondering how we can leverage Cognizant's global scale to have a local impact and it’s through programs such as this that we can truly make a difference,” Jai says. “I have a 13-year-old starting high school next year, and so, now more than ever, it’s clear how valuable these programs can be.”

Alumni say the program gave them the confidence to pursue their careers of choice or even launch their own business—and one such alumni, Giancarlo Sessa, was named to Forbes’ 2022 30 Under 30 list as a co-founder of Blade Filters, which specializes in air purification technology and indoor air quality.

In the future, Cognizant and JA Central Ontario are committed to empowering today’s youth with the skills, connections and mindset necessary to drive impactful, lasting change—as well as inspiring volunteers like Jai to engage with their local communities.