The Cognizant U.S. Foundation has awarded Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) a $847,000 grant to increase access to career opportunities for Black, Latinx and Native American software engineering students at institutions of higher education across the country. 

This investment will help scale MLT’s Career Prep program and the delivery of personalized coaching and critical tools to help students of color secure high-trajectory roles in the tech industry. MLT’s Career Prep program provides Black, Latinx and Native American college sophomores with personalized guidance, effective tools and a powerful network to be successful in highly competitive tech internships and early career opportunities.

Despite ambitious recruiting goals set by corporate leaders, many in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, technology companies continue to struggle with diversifying their workforce. MLT works to address underrepresentation in the industry by providing talented students with a playbook for successfully navigating the tech ecosystem and connecting them to accelerating opportunities.

“As a center for wealth creation, the tech industry’s potential to drive income equality across racial groups is enormous,” said MLT Founder and CEO John Rice. “This collaboration and support from Cognizant U.S. Foundation will enable us to help more students secure careers that provide lasting economic mobility for them and their families.”

“We recognize the importance of social capital to increase representation, because the key to economic mobility is not only having access to a quality job, but also the networks and support necessary to succeed in that job,” said Kristen Titus, Executive Director of the Cognizant U.S. Foundation. “This is why we are proud to support MLT’s Career Prep program and its software engineering track, which has already demonstrated value for so many and helped students of color secure high-trajectory roles in the tech industry.”

This year, MLT will increase the number of software engineering students in its Career Prep program by more than 60%, with plans to further boost the number of tech-focused students in the following years. To learn more, visit www.mlt.org. 

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About Management Leadership for Tomorrow

MLT is a national nonprofit working to transform our country’s leadership pipelines and increase access to the American dream. MLT provides Black, Latinx and Native American talent with the coaching, playbook, and networks they need in order to secure economic mobility for their families and become high-impact senior leaders equipped to advocate for vulnerable communities. MLT also provides a comprehensive solution for institutions, which combines best-in-class recruitment, retention and diversity strategy offerings. Learn more at www.mlt.org. 

About Cognizant U.S. Foundation

The Cognizant U.S. Foundation supports organizations working to inspire, educate and prepare people of all ages to succeed in the workforce of today and tomorrow. Since 2018, the Foundation has committed $50 million to ensure all individuals have equitable opportunity to thrive in the digital economy. Learn more at www.cognizantusfoundation.org.