With a Shortage of STEM Graduates, Accenture Hopes to Grab Them Early

 

Accenture has been a BDPA corporate sponsor over the past two years. They recognize that BDPA provides an excellent resource as they recruit diverse information technology talent via our career fair or job board.

2012 report by President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology stated,

“Economic projections point to a need for approximately 1 million more STEM professionals than the U.S. will produce at the current rate over the next decade. … Currently the United States graduates about 300,000 bachelor and associate degrees in STEM fields annually. Fewer than 40% of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree.”

The stats above should go a long way toward explaining why Accenture is launching a global mentor program for college students majoring in STEM-related fields. The consultancy, which does a load of algorithmic-dependent work for clients, wants to grab students when they’re young, help shape their professional and leadership development, and, obviously, feed its own need for tech talent. Accenture’s Future Technology Leaders program is aimed at first- and second-year undergraduate students, offering them career guidance, networking opportunities, and a senior executive as a mentor. The goal is to have 400 students in the program by year’s end, with 1,600 students within four years.

Read the rest of the Bloomberg Businessweek article.

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Overview: BDPA College Scholarships

The BDPA strategy is to bring college students into the professional chapters on the local level as opposed to creating ‘college chapters’. Part of that strategy includes an aggressive delivery of college scholarships to deserving BDPA high school students.

There are a number of college scholarship programs in place:

1. Bank of America Scholarship for BDPA Students - These scholarships are administered by BETF.  There have been six Bank of America scholars over the years.
2. Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship – These scholarships are administered by BETF. They are awarded to high-performing students in the annual BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships. Bemley scholars can be found in scores of colleges around the nation.
3. Eli Lilly Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BETF. They are awarded to students around the nation who show a desire to make a difference in the IT industry over the course of their college and professional careers. Eli Lilly & Company began funding these scholarships in 2008.
4. Johnson & Johnson Scholarships for BDPA Students - These scholarships are administered by BDPA. They are provided to winners of the annual BDPA IT Showcase as well as all-around excellent HSCC students.
5. Monsanto Scholarships for BDPA Students - This scholarship initiated in 2013 and given to four students (2 nationally and 2 from St. Louis) with an interest in information technology, who make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential, and make an impact on their communities through service to others.
6. Oracle Scholarships for BDPA Students – These scholarships are administered by BDPA. They are awarded to deserving students selected by local chapters. Over $150,000 has been awarded to Oracle scholars over the past three years.

We are grateful to Creating IT Futures Foundation for its support of the Bemley Scholarships. The funding for that college scholarship comes primarily from BDPA members and supporters. You can make a secure online donation in a number of ways that include:

• Crowdrise
• Facebook Causes
• Your Debit or Credit Card

Finally, we would love to talk with other corporations or nonprofit organizations about creating STEM-related college scholarships that can be administered by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. Just reach out to us via email, scholarships@betf.org.