Elevating the career trajectory of people with disabilities
The Inclusive Career Discovery Programme is an initiative created by PwC China to help empower the career development of graduates with disabilities and build a more inclusive culture in the workplace.
At PwC, we’re determined to foster a working environment where people with disabilities are included, feel empowered to be themselves, and have access to the support and adjustments they need to thrive.
This is why PwC China has established the Inclusive Career Discovery Programme. Designed to accelerate the progression of graduates with disabilities, and operating across all PwC China lines of service and business functions, the programme connects graduates with disabilities with PwC by providing internship and job opportunities, professional skills training, one-on-one or group mentoring, open day events, special scholarships, and more. By providing these opportunities, the programme embodies our mantra of “We are for all” – enabling us to use inclusion to unlock the power and potential of a diverse community of solvers.
The Inclusive Career Discovery Programme supports and accompanies graduates with disabilities along a journey of inclusion that consists of four key components:
- Work opportunity: the graduates are exposed to internship and job opportunities.
- Mentoring Programme: the graduates receive both one-on-one or group mentoring sessions with PwC China volunteers.
- Tailored experiences: the graduates are invited to PwC China hosted open day events along with broader Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) events.
- Inclusive Career Discovery Network: graduates are cordially invited to become part of an invaluable network, where they can connect with each other, access professional training opportunities, engage in career sharing, and tap into a wealth of additional useful information.
PwC China’s launch of the Inclusive Career Discovery Programme reflects our deeply-held belief that giving all of our people the chance to get to know people with disabilities is the first step towards promoting true disability inclusion. We also believe that it’s vital to treat people with disabilities equally to everyone else – including allocating the same work and requiring the same quality of delivery, while providing reasonable accommodations to each person with a disability's unique needs as and when necessary.
An especially powerful element of our Inclusive Career Discovery Programme is the Open Day Event. The packed schedule for the day includes shared thoughts from PwC China’s Diversity Leader, a graduation ceremony for the diversity mentoring programme, a panel discussion, brainstorming session, office visit and group photo. As well as enabling us to celebrate milestones, connect more PwC leaders and employees with persons with disabilities, and get to know their abilities better, the Open Day also brings people with disabilities an opportunity to learn more about PwC – including gaining a deeper understanding of our accessible environment, our inclusive culture, and how we can support them on their career development journey.
The results
PwC China is really happy with the outcomes of the first cycle of their Inclusive Career Discovery Programme and look forward to continuing to build on its success in future cycles.
- 24 candidates joined as interns, including people with visual impairment, hearing impairment and physical disabilities.
- 90+ PwC China volunteers joined the programme as mentors to provide one-on-one or group mentoring to 110+ talent with disabilities.
- 140+ participants joined the Open Day events in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, including PwC China leaders, external guest speakers from the local Disabled Person's Federation/NGO, participants in the programme, and PwC China volunteers.
Inclusive Career Discovery Programme Testimonials
“Everyone here is friendly and willing to help. My colleague … is not only my interviewer, but also my guide. I have an arts background, and she suggested that I combine my major (computer technology) with arts to demonstrate my strength in different areas, thus pointing out a broader career path for me. PwC's diversity and inclusion allows everyone to play their part here.”
“Our summer intern has seamlessly integrated into our work environment, demonstrating remarkable adaptability and agility. Despite being visually impaired, he has leveraged his exceptional research skills to contribute to the project's research workstream. He is responsible for crafting insightful interview questions and participating in client interviews, all while maintaining his independence in daily tasks with the aid of a screen reader. This experience has been a valuable lesson for us, as it challenges the misconception that every step of the way requires special accommodations for having a visually impaired intern. Instead, his presence has enhanced the team's benevolence, fostering a nurturing, caring, mindful, and compassionate atmosphere.”
“As I will graduate next year, I was confused about preparing for my job hunting, until PwC China launched the Inclusive Career Discovery Programme. Through one-on-one mentoring, my mentor helped me interpret my hard and soft skills, organise my resumé, and simulate the interview process. I hope more companies can help students with disabilities in their career development and work together to build a diverse and inclusive society.”
“During the initial mentoring session, I found myself doing most of the talking. But as time progressed, I adopted a more interactive approach, employing open-ended questions to encourage my mentee to share her own perspectives and selecting topics that genuinely piqued her interest. The participation in the Diversity Mentoring Program has helped me overcome certain stereotypes regarding disabilities and alleviated my doubts about their ability to thrive in the workplace. As mentors, we empower our mentees with not just professional skills but also assist them in discovering their personal values, fostering their independence, and emboldening them to explore new horizons with confidence.”
Fostering an environment where people with disabilities can thrive
Our Disability Inclusion driver for change.
PwC's Inclusion First strategy
At PwC, our Inclusion First strategy is for our people, our clients and our world. Learn more about our approach to Inclusion and Diversity.
