HACE’s el Futuro program focuses on career development and career exploration for high school students. The program is meant to help them achieve better college entrance and completion rates by improving their prospects for fulfilling careers. The agenda includes presentations about STEM careers, fun activities to engage students in technology and science, and a simulated trade show to network with recruiters from companies in STEM. Examples of workshops include “Army Cyber Command: Hacking for National Security”, and a demo of Google’s new tool called “title brush.”
Companies participating in this event have a commitment to developing a diverse pipeline of talent for the community. “The strength of the Army is found in the diversity of its Soldiers,” said Joseph Minor, ROTC Recruiting Operations Officer, “It allows us to be successful in our mission today and in the future. This includes diversity among our officer corps in educational background such as STEM majors that allow the Army to successfully face a future involving increasingly complex and technologically sophisticated challenges.”
According to a White House report, there is an expected increase of 17% employment in STEM fields by 2020, “says Michael Iacovazzi-Pau, Director of Strategic Partnerships at HACE. The Latino youth have an immense opportunity to fill these gaps and earn above than average wages. Yet, Latinos are less likely to earn a degree or certificate in STEM than any other minorities. This event will bring inspirational yet pragmatic takeaways to help students consider their education and careers in STEM.
“Google wants to encourage more students to pursue careers in the technology field and to raise awareness of the many opportunities in the industry,” said Roberto Paniagua, Sr Account Manager at Google. “The Hispanic Googlers Network (HOLA) is a big part of that effort and we are excited to have local Chicago students visit our great office and meet our team.”
Participating schools are: Curie, Schurz, Lakeview, Chicago Tech, Back of the Yards, Prosser Academy and Kennedy HS. This will be come an annual event to encourage students to enter college with a clear career trajectory to obtain high income jobs.