He and his team organised a dinner that raised almost $60,000 for the charity
Believing that as a major Australian corporation they could genuinely help young people succeed in life, ANZ formed a partnership with Ladder, a non-profit organization that tackles homelessness and provides upskilling opportunities among the youth.
Speaking to MPA, Trent Jollow, VIC/TAS state manager of ANZ Commercial Broker, said that ANZ’s journey with Ladder began over 18 months ago when discussion about what the bank’s purpose “to shape a world where people and communities thrive” really meant to them was opened up at a team strategy day.
“At the session, we recognised it was important for us to engage with the broader community, so from there, we formed a committee and engaged with a number of charities,” Jollow said.
“Then about 12 months ago, ANZ began a relationship with Ladder as their core values of improving financial wellbeing and access to housing align with ANZ’s social ambitions.”
ANZ has formally joined Ladder’s six-week Step Up program to help young people become more job ready. Available to eligible people aged between 16 to 25, Step Up provides career advice and upskilling programs that include interview preparations.
Established by three AFL players, Ladder aims to lift young people out of homelessness by helping them improve in key domains such as self-efficiency, health and wellbeing, independence, education and employment.
Ladder is the primary beneficiary of the AFL Players Association and gets support through senior players who contribute $25 from each match fee, amounting to over $217,000 each year.
While it accepts donations, Ladder relies heavily on support and fundraisers such as the recent AFL Grand Final dinner which the ANZ VIC/TAS commercial broking team put together and promoted to the wider broker community in six months.
Held last 25 September and attended by more than 420 members of the broking industry, the one-night event raised $57,800 via silent and live auctions, donations and table sponsorship. “We were overwhelmed by the support we received from our broker and aggregator partners,” Jollow said.
He added that apart from fundraising efforts, ANZ’s biggest contribution to Ladder is time. Jollow’s broking team runs monthly group mentoring sessions wherein six to eight young people visit ANZ offices to get mentored by bankers and be equipped with tools to become independent and to achieve their potential. Several ANZ staff have committed to the program for 12 months.
“In every interaction with young participants of Ladder, I’ve been inspired by how eager, enthusiastic and honest they have been,” Jollow said.
“My involvement with Ladder has taught me that many of the things we often take for granted are not readily available to others, and this program is the most fulfilling contribution I’ve made in my career to date.”
