Last month, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) joined Growth Sector’s STEM Core Bay Area students at company member HNTB’s office in San Jose, California. The one-day workshop connected community college students from across the Bay Area with working professionals at HNTB.
As the leading business association of the innovation ecosystem, SVLG continues to invest in education and workforce initiatives because we recognize the value of supporting the next generation of business leaders and innovators who will strengthen Silicon Valley’s economy and bolster the region’s competitive edge.
“The goal of SVLG’s Inclusion and Belonging Center of Expertise (COE) is to make Silicon Valley the nation’s leading destination for diverse talent, inclusive of the full career spectrum,” said David Palter, senior director of higher education and workforce development at SVLG.
One way the COE works toward this goal is through its Hire Learning Program, which partners colleges and nonprofit organizations with SVLG member companies to provide work-based learning opportunities to underrepresented students. As an early outcome of the Growth Sector and HNTB partnership, HNTB provided a workshop with an interactive panel, as well as one one-on-one mock interviews and resume review.
“Our students definitely got a bigger picture of the avenues available through engineering. It was powerful to hear the first-hand experiences of current employees,” said Rebecca Mora Baldwin, program coordinator at Growth Sector. “Seeing the synergy amongst the team onsite was a beautiful reflection of the power behind being employee-owned.”
HNTB and SVLG’s deep commitment to STEM diversity was on full display as HNTB staff – from college interns and new employees to senior executives – provided students with valuable insight into engineering-career avenues, helpful work development skills to navigate their career, and real-world knowledge to prepare them for success in any profession.
“I was deeply inspired and energized by the Growth Sector STEM Core students who spent the day with us,” said Lacy Vong, San Jose group director at HNTB. “Their engagement and dedication to achieving their academic goals let me know we have a bright future.”
To learn how you can support efforts to broaden opportunities for students through SVLG’s Hire Learning program, contact David Palter at dpalter@svlg.org.
