Second annual Business Challenge seeks to inspire future talent, nurture the pipeline and foster emerging careers in technology.
News highlights:
· At the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, 50 HBCU Business School Deans will gather to discuss alliances, opportunities and challenges facing HBCUs
· HP’s inaugural 2017 business challenge saw four participants hired into full time internships at HP
· HP announces the continuation and expansion of its 2018-2019 program, with the goal to attract more potential employees and increase student business acumen
New York, NY – June 4, 2018 – Today at the HBCU (Historically Black College and Universities) Deans Roundtable in New York City, HP (NYSE: HPI) announced the continuation and expansion of the HBCU Business Challenge designed to engage and attract African-American students seeking careers in business and technology. Now in its second year, the program, designed to foster learning and provide students with greater access to executive leaders, looks to increase the number of entrants in the challenge at participating schools and ultimately drive much needed systemic change across the tech sector.
The program expansion comes on the heels of a successful 2017-2018 year. More than 70 students across 17 HBCU schools worked in teams to develop business plans tackling real-world challenges that are core to HP’s business, including PC Services Innovation and Office Print Relevance. HP hired four interns from the program, proving the efficacy of the program to support HP’s goals to be an employer of choice among diverse talent and giving fuel to scale the program. In addition, students visited key HP business sites and met with executives.
“At HP, our desire is to be the employer of choice for under-represented groups seeking careers in technology,” said Lesley Slaton Brown, Chief Diversity Officer for HP Inc. “The HBCU Business Challenge provides future talent a taste of HP’s business and leadership culture. This dual mentorship program exposes individuals to our business and inspires our leaders by offering different points of view. Our long-term goal is to reinvent the standard for diversity and inclusion in technology, and this begins with paving the way to get more African American talent to experience technology and consider these types of careers and business challenges.”
HP also sponsored the HBCU Business Dean’s Roundtable, which convened for a three-day symposium for the organization’s 16th annual meeting, focusing on the theme “Talent Pipeline.” The mission of the HBCU Business Dean’s Roundtable is to provide a forum for deans of HBCU business schools to address opportunities and challenges associated with enhancing business programs and initiatives. The organization also seeks to strengthen and develop strategies partnerships and alliances with corporations, government, and national organizations to provide the essential tools and resources for student success. HBCU business deans represent 85 campuses in 22 states and the Virgin Islands, with more than 250,000 students enrolled.
“We have a commitment to improve outcomes for business students in HBCUs today. HP is an important partner and a key proponent for advancing careers for the next generation of talent,” said Racing Toward Diversity Founder and CEO and HBCU Business Deans Executive Director Fields Jackson. “We are pleased to see the HBCU Business Challenge grow in its second year.”
Following the 2017 challenge, HP hired four total students as full-time interns. The 2018-2019 program will reach a greater number of students, fostering a potential stronger recruitment pipeline for the company. Winning teams from Xavier University (Louisiana) and Delaware State University worked on real-time business issues and presented comprehensive business proposals to HP’s print and personal systems business leadership.
HP remains committed to diversity and inclusion, beginning with maintaining one of the most diverse boards of any U.S. technology company. April 2017, Antonio Lucio, HP Inc. Chief Marketing Officer and Lesley Slaton Brown, HP Inc. Chief Diversity Officer, launched two campaigns focused on women and underrepresented groups as part of a broader campaign called Reinvent Mindsets. HP has released spots focused on the African American, women, LGBT, and Latino community. Through the Reinvent Mindsets campaign and programs such as the HBCU Business Challenge, HP strives to cultivate a future talent pool and demonstrate the importance of fostering the next generation of all talent.
RELATED LINKS
· About Diversity @HP: www.hp.com/diversity
· About HBCU Business Deans: http://hbcubusinessdeans.net/
· Lets’s Get in Touch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gAfi15ttKA