Australian Business and Community Network continues to help challenged students

THE Australian Business and Community Network’s (ABCN) Scholarship Foundation has provided 12 scholarships to support promising Year 11 and 12 high school students.  

The ABCN Foundation, launched this year, provides financial and mentoring support to talented students who are facing economic, family or social challenges that are impacting on their studies.

The 12 scholarships have been awarded to high needs, high potential students across Australia with winners receiving a mentor and $7000 in financial support over Year 11, Year 12 and their first year of tertiary education.

The scholarships available in 2013 have been funded by the Navitas Education Trust, KPMG, Norton Rose Fulbright PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. ABCN CEO Jacqui Jones said, “Selecting students to receive our scholarships was a heartening experience. All the applicants are talented, aspirational young people who are achieving excellent results at school despite great challenges.“Next year, we hope to raise funds to provide even more scholarships for these amazing students.”

Building on the success of the National Doug Jukes Memorial Scholarships developed in remembrance of Doug Jukes, former CEO of KPMG, the Scholarship Foundation was launched by the Australian Business and Community Network in July this year.

Ms Jones said ABCN is a coalition of 35 national and global companies that are engaged in providing mentoring programs for students from over 200 high needs schools across Australia.

“Members of the organisation include companies such as the Commonwealth Bank, Goldman Sachs, Minter Ellison Lawyers, Microsoft and Qantas among many others,” she said.“The CEOs of all of the member companies are on the ABCN Council.” ABCN provides a variety of programs, which focus on building critical skills, developing leaders and raising the aspirations of students.

The programs, which are fully funded by the member companies and take place within the corporate environment, give students access to mentors who are business professionals and allows them insight into the working world.

Ms Jones said the Scholarship Foundation allows ABCN to provide financial and further mentoring support to talented students, many of whom have participated in ABCN’s programs, and require extra support to reach their potential.

www.abcn.com.au

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