bdpatoday® | Internships

BDPA Welcomes Northwestern Mutual

MILWAUKEE, WI—BDPA would like to welcome Northwestern Mutual as a Gold Sponsor! This partnership is an opportunity to work with Northwestern Mutual to discover new insights and to create new opportunities through networking and potential employment. During the 43rd Annual Conference, this partnership will be highlighted in several ways.

BDPA’s Data Science Academy (DSA) and Northwestern Mutual are partnering to provide experiences for educational and career growth through research and lab-based programs for students and professionals.

Message from Northwestern Mutual

Our BDPA partnership extends beyond the sponsorship and funding.

It provides opportunities to build relationships with diverse talent, especially students, opening the door for future tech talent to participate in our world class tech internships program and the possibility of a tech career at Northwestern Mutual and beyond.

At the same time, we can support our communities and grow local tech talent through working with the BDPA Milwaukee chapter.

“We’re excited to work with a new group of data and analytics
professionals to deliver impactful learning experiences that attract,
develop, and retain the best talent in the industry.”

KERI MCCONNELL, SENIOR DIRECTOR DATA SCIENCE & ANALYTICS, NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL, & CO-DIRECTOR, NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL DATA SCIENCE INSTITUTE

BDPA-DC Welcomes new Training Scholarships for HBCU Seniors and Graduates Earning Industry Certifications with HOPE Project Online

WASHINGTON—The H.O.P.E. Project DMV (HOPE) is accepting applications for next semester’s online STEM certification offering of its renowned and award winning community information technology (IT) training and workforce development program. Since 2009, HOPE has successfully launched exciting technology careers through programs uniquely designed to prepare students from ages 16-24 for mission-critical entry-level positions such as Helpdesk, Desktop, Service Management, and Application support.

BDPA of Greater Washington, D.C. (BDPA-DC) in direct support of National BDPA’s mission and the association’s HBCU student member objectives, is partnering with HOPE to provide training and certification scholarships directly to HBCU students or recent HBCU graduates who are accepted into HOPE’s online training programs.

BDPA-DC extends its “Industry 4.0” Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES IV) portfolio to include HOPE’s CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ training, certification test preparation to compliment next summer’s STEM internship applications or college degrees for immediate entry-level opportunities across the (ICT) industry with BDPA’s mission-partners

About H.O.P.E. Project DMV

The H.O.P.E. Project (HOPE) mission is to empower students to reach their potential by providing a comprehensive information technology training program, designed for students out of high school and at least 18 years old. Since 2009 HOPE Project has trained, coached, and mentored nearly 2,000 IT students that have an average salary of nearly $65,000 a year. HOPE has helped students earn over 2,200 CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications. These credentials have helped HOPE alumni build IT careers working as Cyber Security Engineers, Systems Administrators, Mobile Device Engineers, and IT Project Managers. Visit: hopeprojectonline.com.

About BDPA-DC

The association’s global mission as outlined by National BDPA is to bridge digital divides across cyber security, information technology (IT) and telecommunications competency gaps while broadening outreach and awareness campaigns for computer, data science, and technical careers. Since 1978, BDPA of Greater Washington, D.C. (BDPA-DC) has successfully presented Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) projects across the National Capital Region support career development and economic development through well blended and tailored series of student programs, industry outreach, community relations, and legislative affairs primarily for urban and underserved communities. Visit: bdpadc.org.

_{— Photo courtesy: HOPE Project DMV}

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HSCC Season Opens with HBCU Festival and Auto Show

WASHINGTON—This week, Industry welcomed the ‘Class of 2024’ to a new decade of unlimited opportunities to explore technical and innovative careers. The National Capital Region hosted the 18^th annual HBCU Festival, The Washington Auto Show®, and the annual High School Coding Competition (HSCC) season opener.

The HSCC kick-off was powered by America’s 2019 National Coding Champions, BDPA of Greater Washington, D.C. (BDPAdc.org). Their journey to BDPACon20 in Atlanta is underway, as a new decade brings with it increased regional participation welcoming JROTC units, HSCC teams from Baltimore, the District, Northern Virginia, and Central Maryland, and new collegiate chapters.

Industry’s Historically Black College and University (HBCU) pipelines continue to grow with inclusive programs, impact investments, and support for annual HBCU Festivals. The Alfred Street Baptist Church Foundation (ASBC) hosted their 18th Annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities College Festival at the Gaylord National Resort Convention Center this Saturday where scholarships and acceptance letters were awarded on site during the festival!

The annual Festival is dedicated to connecting high school students and parents to HBCUs, while helping more students enter college to ensure HBCUs meet enrollment goals. Since 2003, the Festival has connected more than 35,000 students and parents to academic institutions. Many students are first-generation college students, and in some cases, institutions participating in the Festival are the only available choices for these budding scholars.

The Washington Auto Show®, a world class event, continues to wow audiences this week with its cutting-edge exhibits, latest model cars and displays of historic vehicles. Opening January 24 this year, the Auto Show will continue to emphasize and showcase the latest innovations in sustainable automotive technologies. As the largest show in Washington, D.C., their “Public Policy Show” features special events and announcements for officials in government, industry and the media.

Students and BDPA Student Members interested in automotive careers, modeling and simulation, gamification (gaming), and next generation infrastructure opportunities are invited to participate in this year’s Earth Day Tech Summit next April co-hosted by National BDPA’s Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter (BDPAdc.org).

— Source and photos BDPAdc

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Infor and #YesWeCode Announce GenOne Initiative

NEW YORK – Sep. 25, 2018 – Infor, a leading provider of industry-specific cloud applications, and #YesWeCode today announced the launch of GenOne, an Infor and #YesWeCode initiative to increase diversity of the tech workforce in one generation. This initiative, which is in coordination with the Infor Education Alliance Program, was unveiled from the main stage of Inforum, Infor’s annual customer conference, and will continue to expand throughout 2019.

This groundbreaking partnership between #YesWeCode and Infor is being catalyzed by the leadership of Infor CEO Charles Phillips and Social Entrepreneur and Host of The Van Jones show on CNN, Van Jones to recruit, train, and place underrepresented talent in Technology. Participants in this partnership go through a highly-tuned industry and role-based training and support program in under 4 months with the aim of placing them in well-paying roles across the technology ecosystem.

“Technology is changing the way humans live, work, and interact and innovation will only accelerate. Companies like Infor can help define the future of work and develop talent for the new economy. To meet the needs of the industry and the economy, we need to include all communities ,” said Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor. “At Infor we value diversity and believe in human potential. We are proud to partner with #YesWeCode to launch the GenOne initiative with the goal of arming young people today with the skills needed to be the tech leaders of tomorrow.”

The GenOne Initiative is bringing together the talent of both entities, galvanizing the momentum of a national media campaign helping to reshape who we see as tech creators and contributors, focusing on the change management needed to not just place but also retain diverse talent and inviting other companies to join in the efforts so that collectively we are redefining technology together.

The initial phase is a NYC-based cohort of underrepresented students between the ages of 18-35 who will take part in a 3-month intensive training program in NYC to be ready for placement into technology jobs. Additional phases of this initiate will scale and expand the number of students and the geographic reach of this project over 2019.

“When we started #YesWeCode, we saw an opportunity to change the odds for success in STEM by encouraging candidates from disadvantaged or non-traditional backgrounds to pursue careers in technology. The technology of tomorrow needs to be conceptualized, designed and created by a diverse workforce to meet the needs of a diverse world. We are thrilled to partner with Infor, one of the largest software companies in the world, on this mission. While most people are familiar with consumer technologies, by partnering with Infor, #YesWeCode can expose more people to employment opportunities in the large market for business computing. When companies step up and invest in talent, we all win,” said Van Jones, founder of #YesWeCode.

About #YesWeCode

#YesWeCode, launched in 2014 is an initiative of The Dream Corps, to help 100,000 young women and men from underrepresented backgrounds find success in the tech sector. #YesWeCode accelerates access to training in high-demand technical and non-technical skills to prepare untapped talent to enter the tech-fueled economy. #YesWeCode is building a diverse pipeline of ‘homegrown’ tech talent to meet demand and boost local economies.

Source and images: Infor and #YesWeCode

Cognizant offering $cholarships to STEM and Business Students

TEANECK, NJ—Cognizant is an American multinational corporation that provides digital, technology, consulting, and operations services. Cognizant believes that more diversity in the talent pool leads to more diversity of thought, improved creativity in solving problems, greater innovation and delivers a distinct business advantage in today’s competitive global and digital economy.

Completely Cognizant is our commitment to diversity:

Our People: Our associates are ambassadors of diversity, representing Cognizant’s commitment to a rich and dynamic work environment
Our Culture: We purposefully design our culture to empower our employees and leaders to become catalysts for diversity
Our Clients: Our diversity provides a broad foundation for supporting our global clients, helping us span cultural, political and social differences
Our Community: We are committed to creating educational opportunities that strengthen and develop a diverse global work force.

Cognizant’s Accelerate Diversity scholarship program addresses the conundrum that while the future has never looked brighter for Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) careers, there is evidence that these exciting careers are failing to attract broad segments of our population. This unique scholarship is designed from a Cognizant perspective to identify and develop diverse talent for the Future of Work.

Criteria:
Students are eligible to submit an application for consideration if they are:

Currently enrolled as a sophomore or junior at an accredited 4 year college
Enrolled as a STEM or Business major with a focus on pursuing a career in IT and related business services
Able to demonstrate commitment to the value of diversity
(see application requirements)
A citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States

Amount: Award amounts are $5,000. The award will be payable to the institution earmarked for the account of the student. The award is non-transferable and the recipient may not receive cash.

Application Deadline: March 31, 2017

How to Apply: To access the application and scholarship guidelines visit Cognizant Technology Solutions at: http://www.cognizant.com/makingthefuture.

Send completed application and email inquiries to: USCampusTeam@Cognizant.com

Source: Cognizant
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Employee Resource Group Partnerships with BDPA

WASHINGTON—Employee resource groups (also known as ERGs, affinity groups, or business network groups) are groups of employees who join together in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences.

ERG’s are generally based on providing support, enhancing career development, and contributing to personal development in the work environment. In the past, ERGs have traditionally been focused on personality traits or characteristics, for example women, religious affiliations, sexual orientation, gender, etc.

hscc-se16k — Carl Hill, President BDPA Triangle Chapter, discusses presentations and Regional High School Computer Competition (HSCC) schedules with MetLife volunteers during BDPA’s South Region Tech and Innovation Summit in Cary, NC.

— Photo courtesy: Rick Leggett, BDPA Triangle Chapter

With the resurgence of ERGs in the workplace, ERGs are expanding to “interest-based” groups, such as local BDPA Chapters, to gather around particular community activities. Some of these include job responsibility, environmental advocacy, community service and volunteerism, and workplace wellness. Further, as an emerging facet of talent acquisitions, human resources, and employee engagement in the business world, the existence of ERGs remain extremely important for reference and understanding in the world of business. Exploring the topic of employee resource groups can provide insightful information for business employees and young professionals seeking to understand new business models in technology, cyber, and STEM.

AT&T and MetLife employee resource groups participate in recent BDPA Regional Technology and Innovation summits. See cover story in July 2016 edition of bdpatoday.

— Sources: Wikipedia and BDPA

DOD STEM Leads in Technology and Innovation

WASHINGTON—The Department of Defense (DoD) STEM mission is to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum to enrich our current and future DoD workforce to meet defense technological challenges. In alignment with the Federal plan, the Department’s strategy collectively addresses critical STEM challenges as a national priority through communication, talent inspiration and cultivation, and diversity emphasis using evidence-based approaches.

DoD provides learning opportunities from elementary school through graduate school to inspire and cultivate a diverse pool of exceptional STEM talent.

DoD programs connect STEM education in the classroom to the excitement, skills, and challenges that come with safeguarding our country.

Discover more at dodstem.us or watch their latest video.

—Photos and video courtesy: Department of Defense

Industry Icons Receive Community and Technology Awards

Maryland Cyber Program Manager captures 2015 Corporate Member of the Year from local BDPA Chapter

BOWIE, Maryland—LaToya C. Staten (above) receives a 2015 Corporate Member of the Year award from National BDPA’s Washington, D.C. Chapter for expanding and sharing technology inclusion, outreach, and awareness programs with Maryland’s colleges and universities.

Ms. Staten is a certified small business consultant with more than 15 years of experience in creating and executing strategic business development initiatives. LaToya’s area of expertise include program development and implementation, relationship management, training, business advocacy, organizational assessment, economic growth strategies, and grant management.

Her current projects include the advancement of public-private economic development opportunities in key industries such as cybersecurity, the “internet of things”, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Ms. Staten’s public service includes serving on the following boards and committees: Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Betamore Tech Mentor, ITNova Board of Advisors, Michigan State Alumni Association, and the BwTech Business and Cyber Advisory Boards. LaToya is a long-time NWBOC site visitor and a frequent guest on Morgan State University’s Briefcase Radio Show.

Join BDPA for the Annual BDPA Student & Alumni Brunch

WASHINGTON – Join BDPA and participating industry executives Saturday morning, December 19, 2015 8:30 AM at IHOP Restaurant in Washington, D.C.

Power Networking. Door Prizes. Internships. Entry-Level TECH Announcements for 2016. Select here to learn more…

TECH Career Fair | Washington, D.C.

Career Fair | October 20, 2015

At Professional Diversity Network, we know that career advancement directly relates to the professional network that you cultivate. Join us for a unique, complimentary event designed to give diverse professionals a chance to network, socialize and increase your career success. Engage with corporate leaders and make quality connections that will help you build a solid network of professionals who value diversity.