Local College Students Participate in Career Readiness Program with Goldman Sachs Employees

14 FEB 2018

Forty students from four colleges and universities near the firm’s offices in Jersey City and Manhattan have been selected to participate in The Local College Collaborative, a six-month program designed to provide broad-based leadership and career readiness training.

Students from Hudson County Community College, New Jersey City University, St. Peter’s University and Borough of Manhattan Community College will attend sessions at their college campuses and at Goldman Sachs’ offices, where they will learn to develop their leadership potential, how to prepare for their career, and to improve skills in business management, analytical thinking, networking, and presenting.

Goldman Sachs professionals have volunteered to coach and support the students through the spring of 2018.  The 2018 group of students is the second cohort to participate in the program.

Goldman Sachs helped create the curriculum as part of its commitment to support local students and colleges, and to assist workforce development. The Corporate Services and Real Estate group and the Environmental, Social and Governance team of Goldman Sachs have led the firm’s participation.

“This program is designed to fill the gaps between what is offered through traditional career services and classroom experience with the unique perspectives of working professionals and experiential learning, which this model can provide,” said Anthony Cammarata Jr., managing director, Corporate Services and Real Estate, Goldman Sachs. “The program aims to challenge students to think differently about their career and to prepare high potential students to be competitive candidates in the job market.”

Students will work together to address a series of business case scenarios and react to a variety of financial, human resources, sustainability, and public relations business challenges impacting a partner company they represent. Over the course of the program, students will have the opportunity to participate in site visits at partner offices and engage with Goldman Sachs employees during a Community TeamWorks project.  In May 2018, the program culminates with a final presentation, where students showcase their work to an audience made up of Goldman Sachs executives, leaders from their academic institutions, and representatives from the partner companies.

In addition to their coursework, students will also hear from Goldman Sachs managing directors and vice presidents on the importance of bringing your authentic self to work, effective networking, building professionalism, and time management. These conversations will offer diverse perspectives on many of the soft skills that students need to succeed throughout their academic careers and beyond. 

“The hands-on guidance and carefully crafted programming inspires students to follow advanced pathways with confidence in their new skills," says Aparna Saini, Director of Career Development, Hudson County Community College.