Investing In Our Future

IAA is investing in our future with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and their Corporate Work Study Program. Bill Davidson, IAA VP of HR, talks about the student orientation day to kick off the 13th year of IAA's participation in the school's program.

Supporting an Innovative Mission

Thirteen years ago, IAA decided to participate in a program that would support a community of young students in its own back yard of Chicago - the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program.  Cristo Rey Jesuit High School was founded in 1996 to serve the immigrant Latino community of Pilsen and Little Village on the near Southwest side of Chicago.  What began as an experimental project today is a model that provides eager human resources for many Chicagoland businesses including IAA.

Last Friday, IAA had the pleasure of welcoming 12 Cristo Rey students to our corporate headquarters. They participated in their “first” orientation meeting where students had the opportunity to meet and interact with their managers and key leaders of the company.

IAA has truly embraced the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP).  This program allows students to earn approximately 70% of their annual tuition by working one day a week for a corporation or non-profit agency.  Not only is it an opportunity for companies to “give back,” it allows the students the chance to develop social and professional skills, plus four years of job experience before even entering college.  Demonstrating the benefit of the school’s model, the 2018-2019 incoming student population is the largest in their history.

The program is also a critical part of our potential talent pool strategy.  Being part of a large, diverse city certainly has its challenges from both a hiring and recruiting perspective.  Using different and unique methods to find and cultivate potential talent is key to a successful hiring strategy.  Cristo Rey has proved to be another way IAA can broaden our talent pool and remain competitive in today’s job market.  In fact, several interns who started with IAA as High School freshman, continue with us until they graduate, stay on with us over the summer or are now full-time employees. IAA looks forward to working with these students now and into the future.