John Hancock Announces 2024 MLK Scholars Program, Invests Another $1 Million in Summer Jobs, Financial Education for Boston Youth

Joins Boston‘s Private Industry Council Working Group Alongside Financial Services Firms to Build Diverse Talent Pipeline

BOSTON, July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Today, John Hancock, a unit of Toronto-based Manulife, announced the start of its annual MLK Scholars Program, which provides summer jobs, financial education, and professional development opportunities to Boston youth. Now in its 17^th year, John Hancock has invested over $17 million to fund the program and has created career opportunities for more than 6,000 underrepresented students.

This summer, in partnership with the City of Boston, John Hancock is sponsoring the employment of hundreds of Boston teens at its offices and 25 local non-profits across the city. The MLK Scholars Program leverages youth employment to build capacity within the non-profit community for summer programming and to create opportunities for long-term employment within the city’s public and private sectors. The program benefits the organizations that employ MLK Scholars by engaging Boston‘s diverse student population in potential career paths in their industries.

“At John Hancock, we fundamentally believe in the role we can play as a large employer in Boston to develop a diverse talent pipeline that can help level the playing field for those who do not have equal access to the type of work experiences that are key to building long-term skills, self-confidence and financial empowerment,” said Brooks Tingle, president and CEO of John Hancock. “It’s why, for 17 years, we have invested in this program that means so much to not just us, but to so many Bostonians. We’re proud to work alongside the city’s summer jobs program to create inclusive economic opportunities and foster the local talent that will drive the future of not just our industry, but our great city.”

“Providing equitable access to the best opportunities is…