This fall Deloitte & Touche USA LLP will debut its first scholars of the Future Leaders Apprentice Program (FLAP), a brand new diversity recruiting and retention program at Deloitte, one of the big four public accounting firms, and a consummate diversity leader. The FLAP program packages together scholarship, mentoring, and leadership development, all designed to give entry level professionals “wings to soar” during the formative years of their careers.

            “There is no other program that combines all of these components into one powerful package,” stated Kaplan Mobray, Deloitte’s U.S. Diversity Recruiting Leader. “The premise of the program is ‘Smart Today, Leader Tomorrow.’ We believe that this will be a powerful tool to attract and retain diverse people into our organization,” he continued.

            The FLAP program officially began in 2006, but the first group of students to be selected for the program, called FLAP scholars, will start as full-time employees in the fall of 2007. The organization will also debut an intern version of the program this summer. FLAP offers scholarships to talented, minority college juniors and seniors working towards a degree in accounting, or other disciplines complementary to business, who have agreed to join the Audit Enterprise Risk Services (AERS) business unit at Deloitte & Touche USA LLP upon graduation.                           Scholarship awards are $5,000 and can be used for undergraduate educational costs or to support enrollment in a fifth-year program. In order to qualify for this competitive scholarship that will be awarded this year, students must demonstrate high academic performance and leadership potential.

            “When developing this program, one of the things the organization considered was packaging a value proposition for a scholarship program that was more than just a check,” said Mobray. With this in mind, the two other non-monetary components of the FLAP program are what really provide the FLAP scholars with “wings” as they begin their career.

            In addition to the scholarship, all FLAP scholars will receive mentoring and leadership development training. “The mentoring starts on day one,” said Mobray. “We assign the scholars a mentor the moment they are hired as a full-time [Deloitte] employee.” Mentors are selected by matching candidates with employees of similar backgrounds. According to Mobray, mentors are Deloitte employees that are early in their careers and who can guide the new employees through those critical first years. Mentors are also mid- and senior-level managers who not only act as mentors, but who also act as sponsors. “FLAP scholars are considered to be future leaders,” Mobray added.

            The leadership development component expands over two years, beginning when the FLAP scholar starts his/her full-time job. FLAP scholars will be enrolled in a customized, two-year High Impact Performers Leadership Development training course which is designed to help new hires make a positive contribution to Deloitte. When considering this component of the program, Mobray said, “We are committed to the career development of our employees. This program gives us the ability to practice what we preach.”

            In addition to giving talented minorities entering the accounting profession a leg up in starting their careers, Deloitte’s FLAP program also supports the firm’s overall diversity initiative. “Our diversity strategy includes managing the talent pipeline. This program allows us to manage talent as well as to identify the next generation of leaders,” continued Mobray.                          

“Through the FLAP program, we can identify high potential employees and reward their high performance. The program also helps to build inclusion in a culture where we are focused on the development of our people.”