Cheyney University Joins the Program To Help Train 20,000 HBCU Students In Digital Skills This School Year

The Program Is Part of Google’s $15 Million Commitment To Upskill Black Workers, Announced in June

January 28, 2021 — Google today announced sixteen new schools are joining its Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program, including Cheyney University in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Through a $1 million investment in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the program provides digital skills workshops in HBCU career centers to help Black students prepare for the workforce. Announced in October, the initiative’s goal is to reach 20,000 students during the current school year. Today’s announcement brings the number of participating schools to twenty total, and the program will be available to all HBCUs by fall 2021.

“Google believes investing in HBCU students strengthens the future workforce and increases economic opportunity,” said Bonita Stewart, Vice President for Global Partnerships at Google and Howard University alumna. “We’re proud to expand our Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to reach more HBCU students with the digital skills they need to thrive in the workforce.”

TMCF—the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community—has a track record of successfully connecting HBCU students with scholarships, training and jobs as they navigate college and careers. Its long history of on-the-ground work ensures the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program is tailored to meet student needs.

“Cheyney University is honored to participate in the cooperative efforts of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Google’s HBCU Career Readiness Program,” said Aron Walton, President of Cheyney University. “Cheyney is no stranger to heeding the call to serve as a change agent for equality that can open doors to opportunity. The corporate and institutional partnerships we have established over the last two years provide our students with hands-on training through internships, enabling them to apply academic concepts in a real-world setting. We look forward to accelerating our efforts to prepare our students for tomorrow’s workforce through this new and exciting initiative.”

“A central part of the mission of TMCF is to prepare the next generation of workforce talent. Our partnership with Google enables this mission and ensures students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities are positioned to compete for meaningful careers”, said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President, and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Started last October, the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program provides HBCU career centers with funding and a semester-long in-person and online digital skills program. The program combines existing Grow with Google workshops with custom job seeker content for Black students, including design thinking, project management, and professional brand building. TMCF, which is contributing to the program’s design, will work with HBCU career centers to onboard the program.

This $1 million Grow with Google investment is part of a $15 million commitment to upskill Black workers. Announced by Google CEO Sundar Pichai last June, the investment aims to help Black job seekers learn new skills in partnership with national workforce development organizations.

“Technology is at the forefront of career services and professional development. It is the vehicle that drives our students from their academic institutions to the workplace. This opportunity places our students in the driver’s seat by providing Cheyne University with four digital workstations.” said Frederick Goode, Director of Career Services and Professional Development and Cheyney University. “Keeping up with trends and best practices, students will develop competitive digital portfolios that will showcase their talents professionally. Google and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund have provided our students with tools and resources that will inspire and encourage success. Thanks to all who contributed to these efforts.”

Grow with Google is Google’s initiative to create economic opportunities for all by providing free tools and training. Since 2017, the program has trained more than five million Americans on digital skills. The Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program builds on the company’s ongoing investments in HBCU students. Since 2013, the Google In Residence program has placed Google software engineers at HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as faculty. The company also hosts Tech Exchange, a virtual student exchange program that teaches HBCU and HSU students applied computer science courses.

For more information on Grow with Google’s HBCU Career Readiness program, please visit this website.

ABOUT GROW WITH GOOGLE
Grow with Google was started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers, and businesses. It provides free training, tools, and expertise to help small business owners, veterans and military families, jobseekers and students, educators, startups, and developers. Since Grow with Google’s inception, it has helped more than five million Americans grow their skills, careers, and businesses. Grow with Google has created a network of more than 7,500 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce, and nonprofits to help people coast-to-coast.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the PK-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.

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Contact: David Caliguiri

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