© Nancy Jo Brown
BEYA_Boeing
Boeing has announced a $6 Million investment in historically black colleges and universities through a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The eight historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) include Tuskegee, Alabama A&M, Howard, Morgan State, and North Carolina A&T State, all with ABET-accredited engineering schools.
“If you look at the number of HBCU alumni working at Boeing, you know how critical these institutions are to our pipeline and progress,” said Ted Colbert, Boeing's chief information officer and board member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TCMF). “Boeing is stronger because of the skills, diversity and passion they bring.”
Colbert earned a dual bachelor's degree in science at Morehouse College and industrial and systems engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996.
Boeing’s new investment in the technical workforce will focus on hands-on experience and on-campus engagements that provide collaboration for students, faculty, and administrators.
“This investment is another example of how we are building a diverse pipeline of future talent,” said Michael Ford, Boeing vice president of Global Diversity and Inclusion.
“Through scholarships, internships, on-campus engagements, and immersive opportunities at Boeing, we hope to inspire and enable HBCU students to pursue careers in the aerospace industry,” Ford said.
The announcement builds on Boeing’s ongoing investment in South Carolina State University, Morehouse, Spelman College, Southern University, Prairie View A&M University, Florida A&M University and Tennessee State University.
Boeing is one of the top supporters of HBCUs that have been corporate partners for years.
Recently, Boeing also announced a $100 million to invest in local communities following the enactment of the tax reform legislation.
The investments include partnerships with organizations that encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), inspire the next generation to see the future in space as their future with Boeing, and expected to help launch Boeing’s new “First to Mars” initiative, a comprehensive experiential learning framework.