Major consulting firm PwC is hosting a conference this summer that offers “high-performing” college students the opportunity to check out the company’s career offerings, but the firm excludes White and Asian applicants based on their race as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program.
PwC’s Career Preview is a three-day seminar to be held in June that allows potential future hires to rub elbows with the accounting giant’s employees, and the company will pay for the travel expenses and accommodations at the event in Orlando, Florida.
The application form states that to be eligible for the program, an applicant must be a student on track to achieve a bachelor’s degree within a certain timeframe and someone who “self-identifies as a member of (a) traditionally underrepresented group in the professional services industry (Black or Latino/Hispanic).”
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The Daily Wire, which first flagged the race-based criteria, noted that the Career Preview application requires applicants to affirm whether they identify as Black or Hispanic, with a mandatory question. No other races are mentioned.
The outlet pointed to another PwC program for college students, the company’s Start Experience, which is for career development and leadership. The company encourages any array of racial backgrounds to apply but leaves out Caucasian people and East Asians.
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“As part of the firm’s commitment to equal employment opportunity, we encourage students who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or two or more races, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and/or first generation college students to apply,” the eligibility requirement begins.
PwC did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on its programs favoring certain races over others. In a statement on its website, PwC says its inclusion strategy is “grounded in data and accountability, supports measurable progress and helps create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered.”
Race-based programs became commonplace at corporations during the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) movement that surged in 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter protests, but the initiatives have fallen under increased scrutiny amid questions over their legality, given that many discriminate on the basis of race.
A string of major U.S. companies, including Walmart, McDonald’s, Amazon, Ford and Lowe’s, have rolled back DEI initiatives in the past year in response to a cultural shift that included customer backlash, pressure from conservative-leaning groups and activists and possible legal ramifications.
President Donald Trump made promises during his campaign to scale back federal DEI programs. In his first week back in office, Trump signed an executive order ending DEI offices and initiatives across the federal workforce.
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