Monster Diversity Leadership Program Marks Five-Year Anniversary with Expansion of Conference Series

Monster, the online careers property and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, today announced the commencement and expansion of its 2006 Diversity Leadership Program (DLP). This interactive program helps college students from diverse backgrounds develop practical life skills, obtain scholarships and explore career opportunities with leading U.S. companies. Now in its fifth year, the DLP will take place in 10 cities throughout the summer, beginning on July 8, 2006 in San Francisco.

More than 25,000 applicants competed for 3,000 spots to attend 10 separate weekend conferences around the country, nearly doubling the size of last year’s program. The DLP combines education and entertainment to help students build life and employment-related skills, including resume writing, goal setting, career development, motivation and diversity awareness. In addition, the program offers networking opportunities with executives from premier companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Target and Lockheed Martin.

The Diversity Leadership Program was a valuable experience in making the transition from college to career, said LeeAnna Fresquez, a participant in the 2005 Diversity Leadership Program. Throughout the weekend, I gained valuable information on how to emphasize my skills, experience and accomplishments. As a result of what I learned and the networking experience provided, I was hired at PricewaterhouseCoopers upon graduation.

According to a recent survey conducted by MonsterTRAK, a leading careers site for college students and young alumni, 72 percent of companies plan to hire recent college graduates this year, while 82 percent of 2006 graduates expect to receive at least one job offer when they graduate.

The MonsterTRAK survey indicates that employers and students recognize that the job outlook is strong for graduates this year, said Chuck Knippen, Founder and Program Director, Monster Diversity Leadership Program. Employers are doing more to recruit talented graduates at an earlier stage, and the Monster DLP program offers them a unique venue to connect talented and diverse student leaders with premier employers.

DLP selection criteria include a student’s demonstrated leadership abilities, extracurricular activities, and their grade point average (GPA). Monster reviews thousands of applications to find student leaders who have been exposed to a distinctly diverse environment, as defined by the applicants themselves. As part of the broader program, DLP students participate in a three-hour course on diversity to better prepare them for the working world.

Diversity is a key initiative for PricewaterhouseCoopers and DLP is right in-line with this initiative, said Amy Van Kirk, PricewaterhouseCoopers National Campus Recruiting Leader. We are looking for the top candidates who are leaders within their peer group. This program attracts those types of participants and gives us an opportunity to interact and build relationships with them.

Participants will also attend featured sessions presented by successful leaders including U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter, who will address the Detroit attendees, and U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah, who will speak at the Philadelphia venue. Cast members from the NBC television show The Apprentice, Marshawn Evans and Ivana Ma, will also speak at the Chicago and Los Angeles venues, respectively.

Throughout the summer of 2006, DLP symposia will be held on the following campuses:

-- July 8-9 San Francisco State University (San Francisco)
-- July 15-16 Wayne State University (Detroit)
-- July 22-23 Saint Xavier University (Chicago)
-- July 22-23 University of Texas-Arlington (Arlington)
-- July 29-30 Georgia Tech University (Atlanta)
-- July 29-30 Villanova University (Philadelphia)
-- August 5-6 Towson University (Baltimore)
-- August 5-6 University of South Florida (Tampa)
-- August 12-13 St. John’s University (New York)
-- August 12-13 Chapman University (Los Angeles)

Students attend the DLP at no charge, as the program is funded through corporate sponsorships. Platinum Sponsors Include: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lockheed Martin and Target. Other national sponsors include: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Cardinal Health, Catholic Healthcare West, Centex, US Navy, and QTG (Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade).

Over $70,000 will be awarded in scholarships to students throughout the summer sessions. Monster will raffle two laptop computers to students at each location. Applications are considered on a rolling basis. Students can apply at www.monsterdlp.com/student/login/default.asp.

For more information about the 2006 Monster Diversity Leadership Program, please visit www.monsterdlp.com.