Cognizant, Microsoft and Walmart launch US$3m vocational tech education fund
A US$3m tech education fund is to be set up by a consortium including the Cognizant U.S. Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies and Walmart.org. The sum is to go in support of CodePath.org, a non-profit organization that partners with technology firms and colleges in the design of computer science curricula that meet employer needs at no cost to the educational institutions involved. The funding will allow the organization to make its programme available in more than 75 cities across the US, extending its reach to some 7,000 students by 2021.
According to a spokesperson for Microsoft, the investment will ensure 150 college campuses across the country have an industry-informed computer science curriculum in place, one also designed to meet needs of women and students of color who want to pursue careers in technology. Commenting on the funding, Michael Ellison, founder and CEO of CodePath.org, said the investment will help bring about a paradigm shift in talent development and allow for the delivery of systems that can help any student in any classroom excel in their technological studies, rather than simply assisting the best students in just a few elite schools.
