Benedict College Celebrates TechWise Program

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Benedict College leaders were joined by Congressman James Clyburn and Congressman Ro Khanna to celebrate the TechWise Program.

Google and TalentSprint are celebrating the successful implementation of the TechWise program. Benedict is among the first schools in the United States to be included in the program.

TechWise is a diversity, equity, and inclusion program offered by TalentSprint and supported by Google. The 18-month virtual program aims to help students become entry-level software engineers. The first cohort was launched in February 2022 and included 18 Benedict students.

The second cohort for the program will include 120 students nationwide from eight partner colleges across the country. Seven of the students will come from Benedict College.

Students selected for the program receive the training at zero cost and a $5,000 stipend to help offset the additional time needed to complete the program. Additional help is provided through one-on-one mentorship with a Google engineer.

The event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Khanna said, "HBCU students already have the talent to become leading software engineers, but the disconnect is in recruiting and partnership from the tech companies. This is a chance to help change that and expand good-paying jobs and tech opportunities to places outside of Silicon Valley. I'm proud to have worked with Google and the Benedict Administration to help set up this program."