Aon Commits to Higher Education and Career Growth
Leading global professional services firm, Aon, is paving the way for essential talent to thrive.
In August 2021, Aon presented Cara job seekers with a unique opportunity to propel their careers through the Aon Apprenticeship Program: a two-year paid opportunity working in business support, data, project management, or information technology while concurrently earning an associate degree from Harold Washington College.
We are thrilled to share that two of our job seekers were chosen to join the 2021-2022 program: Jamiella and Michael.
“Aon looks for go-getters with motivation, eagerness to learn, and a ‘sky’s-the-limit’ mentality. I can say for a fact that these two individuals embody all that and more.”
Liz Jones, Senior Corporate Account Manager for Cara Collective
The apprenticeship is intentionally designed to promote work-life balance, allowing Jamiella and Michael the flexibility to split their time between going to work and attending college, their daily hours in school counting toward their full-time, 40-hour work week. Aon alleviates any financial burden, paying tuition, fees, and books in addition to full-time salaries and benefits.
Not only is Aon pioneering corporate apprenticeship within their company, but they are helping others to follow suit as a founding member of the Chicago Apprentice Network. By April 2021, the network of 75 companies created more than 1,000 apprenticeships in the Chicagoland area, recognizing that investing in talent so often overlooked provides a significant launch pad for job seekers and fosters inclusive company cultures.
“The apprenticeship program at Aon is so important as we think about the ability to bring diversity of experiences, thought, and people into our organization. The program has provided the opportunity to think more broadly about inclusive employment and the role it plays in driving the culture we look to create at Aon.”
Andrea O’Leary, Aon Chief People Officer for Enterprise Clients
It’s a particularly exciting time for Cara job seekers to join the Aon Apprenticeship Program, as this model has not only proven to be successful—it’s just getting started. In 2020, Aon announced an investment of $30 million to expand the apprenticeship program to new cities outside of Chicago. By 2030, Aon’s goal is to lead the development of a nationwide network of employers to create 10,000 corporate apprenticeships throughout the country.
For the next two years, we will highlight various aspects of the Aon Apprenticeship Program and follow our participants as they pursue their careers and associate degrees.
Interested in becoming an Aon Apprentice? Let us know and a member of our team will reach out to you.
Read our interviews with Jamiella and Michael and support more of our job seekers ready to get back to work.
