A major partnership to create game-changing opportunities for students of colour has been launched with talent network Colorintech.
It will link De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) students with some of the world’s biggest tech companies like Google, Salesforce and Microsoft providing training programmes, networking and career development that will get them on to recruiters’ radar.
The partnership underlines DMU’s commitment to empowering its students, tackling the BAME attainment gap and improving graduate outcomes. This comes at a time when 53 per cent of Black tech leaders felt companies had failed to make significant D&I changes making it clear that much more work needs to be done in opening doors to a more diverse range of talent.
Mark Prescod, Associate Professor and Decolonising DMU Champion, said: “We are very excited to be working with Colorintech. This partnership offers incredible opportunities for our students to enter the tech sector. DMU has one of the most ethnically diverse student bodies in the UK, and we want our students to succeed and have all the opportunities they can.
“By working with Colorintech, we can offer the opportunities to connect with brands, graduate recruiters and executives at some of the world’s leading tech companies.”
Colorintech is a non-profit organisation that aims to make Europe the most inclusive tech hub in the world. It was set up by founders Dion McKenzie and Ashleigh Ainsley who wanted to tackle the lack of role models and diverse representation they saw while working in Silicon Valley. Now, Colorintech works with companies around the world to drive inclusion for entrepreneurs, career starters and working professionals.
Co- Founder Ashleigh said: “De Montfort University has been a fundamental part of our story from day one and the growth of Colorintech, and we are thrilled to accelerate the depth of our work together. Our ambitions for DMU students know no bounds and increasingly we’re seeing further opportunities open up for them within our partners, community and network. Having strategic leadership from the top not only underpins DMU’s ambition to further student outcomes for all groups, but puts them at a significant place as one of the most innovative and progressive institutions in Europe.”
The partnership includes:
- Coaching and support for up to 250 students a year into tech roles with companies such as Microsoft and eBay and Salesforce
- A set number of places reserved for DMU students on Colorintech’s training programmes
- Visits from Colorintech at on-campus and virtual careers events
- Inviting students to become part of Colorintech’s talent network
- Providing exclusive access to Google Digital Garage sessions
Already students have had invites to the Microsoft Aspire programme, and DMU has hosted a webinar with Google executive Pedro Pina about diversity and inclusion at the web giant. More webinars are being planned.
More details of upcoming programmes, including February’s Tech Career Readiness four week online course along with details of how to register, can be found here.
Richard Bowden, of DMU Works, the university’s careers success team, said it gave students a huge opportunity to make an impact in the tech economy.
He added: “Starting out on a successful graduate career relies upon being afforded that vitally important first opportunity. This partnership will allow our students to access networks and opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to so that their success is a result of ability and application rather than background.”
Since 2019, DMU’s Decolonising DMU programme has been working towards realising the university’s vision to be a socially progressive and fully inclusive place to study and work. National figures show that a white student is 13% more likely to receive a First or 2:1 degree compared to a student of colour. At DMU that is just under nine per cent and the university has committed to cutting that by two per cent a year.
Current Colorintech Early Career partners include Microsoft, Google, Deepmind, eBay, and Salesforce.
Posted on Tuesday 1 February 2022