NI awards $400,000 to Austin Urban Technology Movement for workforce development programs; establishes NI Technical Scholar program at Austin Community College

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NI (NASDAQ: NATI) today announced two collaborations that will provide Black and Latinx Central Texans with new pathways to engineering and technology careers. The first is with Austin Urban Technology Movement (AUTM) to create workforce development opportunities in engineering to increase diversity across the tech industry. The second is a new NI Technical Scholar program that will provide Austin Community College (ACC) students with an internship-to-employment track at NI.

NI Awards Four-Year Grant to AUTM

As part of NI’s efforts to diversify the local technology workforce, NI will donate $400,000 over the next four years to support AUTM, a non-profit organization that bridges the gap between Black and Latinx communities and the technology industry through job placement, career development and networking opportunities. AUTM provides its participants with opportunities to receive training to enter and thrive in the technology industry, leading to career growth and increased income potential.

NI’s donation will specifically fund AUTM’s efforts to upskill and reskill adults into the technology industry. Additionally, the company will collaborate with AUTM to drive awareness of careers in technology while providing internships, apprenticeships, training and mentoring opportunities to AUTM program participants.

“NI’s funding, volunteerism and expertise will help us equip people at every stage of life with the in-demand skills they need to compete in the digital economy,” said Michael Ward Jr., president and CEO of AUTM. “Upskilling and reskilling members of our Black and Hispanic communities, combined with building their social capital, will significantly increase representation in engineering and tech, leading to generational change and closing the racial wealth gaps in our communities.”

NI is committed to investing $3.4 million globally over the next four years in STEM education initiatives that support underserved or economically disadvantaged students. In 2021, the company has awarded grants to Code2College and Project Lead the Way as well as a joint grant to Thinkery and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area to fund a new engineering education program, Collaboration to Realize Equity and Teach Engineering (C.R.E.A.T.E). With the grant to AUTM, the company now supports STEM education programs from kindergarten through the adult workforce.

“Engineers should reflect the diversity of the people they’re creating solutions for. And diversifying the engineering talent pipeline requires us to address the inequities that exist at every life stage,” said Tabitha Upshaw, senior director of brand, reputation and impact at NI. “We are proud to support AUTM’s work to break down barriers and help people of all ages and backgrounds find a path to our industry.”

NI Introduces Engineering Opportunity Scholarship at Austin Community College
To further help students from underserved communities explore career opportunities in STEM, NI and ACC will create a new “NI Engineering Opportunity Scholarship.” The scholarship will cover the full cost of attendance, which includes tuition and room and board. In addition, NI will provide an immersive development program comprised of a technical skills bootcamp, mentoring from NI and ACC, a full-time paid summer internship at NI and part-time employment in NI’s Product R&D organization. The inaugural cohort will start in September 2021 with the first expected graduation in May 2022.

“We are excited to team up with NI to expand ACC’s Career Scholars program and lift the weight of paying for college to help underserved students build a rewarding career in the technology field,” said Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC chancellor. “This kind of work is what it takes to reimagine higher education and eliminate equity gaps, and it’s what we mean when we say ACC is for everyone. Together, ACC and NI are creating new opportunity with critical hands-on training and mentorship at NI. We are excited to watch more students thrive through this program.”

Both the AUTM and ACC collaborations support NI’s recently launched 10-year corporate impact strategy, Engineering Hope, focused on three pillars with ambitious goals attached to each: changing the faces of engineering, building an equitable and thriving society and engineering a healthy planet.

“Changing the faces of engineering is not a solo endeavor; it requires collective action among industries, educators and nonprofits,” said Upshaw. “AUTM and ACC are forward-thinkers that know how to amplify impact across the Austin community.”