Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Deloitte Launches Inaugural Corporate Responsibility Report, Announces Education Program

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu launched its inaugural Corporate Responsibility Report today, in conjunction with the 2009 Annual Review. The report details Deloitte's corporate responsibility agenda, including its commitments to solving global challenges, community investment programs, and environmental sustainability practices.

"Deloitte's corporate responsibility agenda contributes to the long-term success of the member firms. Commitment in this area is key to attracting and retaining people-allowing them opportunities to solve challenges facing their communities and the world," said John Connolly, Chairman of the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Board of Directors and the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Corporate Responsibility Council. "By showcasing the organization's accomplishments and aspirations, the corporate responsibility report marks Deloitte's progress and raises the bar for performance."

The report also announces Deloitte's focused global commitment to education and skills building, known as Deloitte21. Deloitte21 is a global advocacy and collective action initiative aimed at driving innovation in education to better prepare underserved young people for success in the 21st-century economy. The initiative will concentrate on arming students with the skills that are most sought after and relevant to the world today, such as leadership, ethics, problem solving, financial literacy, technology, global awareness, and others.

"We believe that conventional education is in need of improvement to adequately prepare young people for success and achievement in the 21st-century economy, and Deloitte is in a position to help," Mr. Connolly said. "Through Deloitte21, Deloitte professionals can apply their intellectual capital, professional skills, and experience to support innovative programs that are achieving success in developing young people’s talents and skills."

Many Deloitte firms already support education and skills-building initiatives in their local communities. For example, Deloitte Southern Africa offers employability training programs to assist university graduates in becoming ready for the workplace. Partners and other employees at Deloitte Germany act as mentors to high school students who form mock companies and learn how to run an enterprise for a year. Additionally, Deloitte Turkey partners and professionals spearheaded a mentorship and scholarship program to provide university students with educational guidance and funds.

The objective of Deloitte21 is to shape the dialogue with leaders and influencers in education and skills building, and to help scale up innovative programs that are supporting students to achieve higher education, become entrepreneurs, develop life skills, and gain employment.

The Annual Review outlines various milestones achieved by Deloitte throughout the past year. Additionally, Deloitte member firm professionals give their perspectives on working at the Deloitte organization, including opportunities to work abroad, volunteerism, collaborating with clients, investigating career options, and pursuing interests outside work.

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than140 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and deep local expertise to help clients succeed wherever they operate. Deloitte's more than 168,000 professionals are committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

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