TE Connectivity is welcoming 14 students into the first year of the African Heritage Scholarship Program, a $3.5 million investment in the company’s efforts to further diversify its workforce and bring new opportunities in the technology industry to top-performing Black and African-American students in the United States.
The college students will join TE in May from 12 different colleges to complete 10- to 12-week internships at sites throughout the United States. Upon successful completion of the internship, the students will receive a scholarship of as much as $22,500 for their junior year, based on financial need, and will be invited back for a second internship at TE next summer. The scholarship would then be eligible for renewal for their senior year. TE expects a new cohort of students will join the African Heritage Scholarship Program each year for the next five years.
“We were impressed by the caliber of the applicants in the first year of the program, and I know that our recipients will help make TE better with their talent and ideas,” CEO Terrence Curtin said. “STEM-related companies will be served well by recruiting a diversity of voices and backgrounds, and we are excited to expand our efforts through this new program, which was created by a diligent team from TE’s African Heritage Employee Resource Group.”
This year’s cohort of scholars includes students from Alabama A&M University, College of the Canyons, Howard University, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina A&T, Rutgers University, University of Arizona, University of California, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of Miami and University of Texas.
The students will be working in a variety of roles, including product R&D, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, product management and supply chain. TE’s internship program is designed to fill the company’s leadership development programs and early career roles. In addition to real-world job experience with a global impact, TE’s interns will experience a range of professional development workshops covering financial literacy, corporate communications and personal branding. Other programming includes global networking events, community involvement opportunities and executive exposure.
