ECSU Joins Grow with Google’s HBCU Career Readiness Program

New Partnership with University’s Career Development Center to Train 100,000 Black College Students in Digital Skills by 2025

Today, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announced its participation in the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program. The initiative helps African American college students at over 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) prepare for the workforce through digital skills training and career workshops. Through a $3 million investment in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the program will train 100,000 Black college students by 2025.

“Elizabeth City State University is honored and excited about partnering with Grow with Google for the HBCU Career Readiness Program,” says Amber Lennon, ECSU’s director of Career and Professional Development and the Quality Enhancement Plan. “ECSU is committed to preparing students for their future careers and educational endeavors after college. Our current Quality Enhancement Plan, ‘Pathway to Success: From the Classroom to Career,’ affirms a commitment to equip students with the skills needed to prepare them to lead successful careers. As a result of our Grow with Google partnership, ECSU students will gain access to enhanced career readiness programming and hone their digital skills, ultimately expanding their career opportunities. We are so appreciative of this opportunity to participate in this initiative and thankful for Google’s commitment to supporting college students develop the skills needed to secure internships and jobs.”

“One of ECSU’s strategic priorities focuses on academic excellence, specifically expanding our academic program offerings, services and learning opportunities to align with community demand and meet the needs of employers,” states Dr. Karrie G. Dixon, ECSU chancellor. “We are thankful for our new Grow with Google partnership, which will help increase our scholars’ ability to gain new skills that will ultimately make them more competitive in the global marketplace.”

TMCF—the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community—has a track record of successfully connecting HBCU students with scholarships, training and jobs as they navigate college and careers. Its long history of on-the-ground work ensures the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program is tailored to meet student needs.

“A central part of the mission of TMCF is to prepare the next generation of workforce talent.  Our partnership with Google enables this mission and ensures students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities are positioned to compete for meaningful careers,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Started in 2020, the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program provides HBCU career centers with funding and a semester-long in-person and online digital skills program. The program combines existing Grow with Google workshops with custom job seeker content for Black students, including design thinking, project management, and professional brand building. TMCF, which  contributes to the program’s design, works with HBCU career centers to onboard the program.

Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program builds on Google’s ongoing investments in HBCU students and commitment to creating pathways to tech.  The company also recently announced a $6 million investment in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and United Negro College Fund (UNCF), building on the momentum of their $50 million grant to 10 HBCUs in 2021. Since 2013, the Google In Residence program has placed Google software engineers at HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as faculty. The company also hosts Tech Exchange, a virtual student exchange program that teaches HBCU and HSU students applied computer science courses

“Young adults should have the opportunity to learn digital skills for today’s jobs,” said Tia McLaurin, Community Engagement Manager, Google. “We’re proud to work with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to bring the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program to Elizabeth City State University to help more students prepare for the workforce.”

For more information on Grow with Google’s HBCU Career Readiness program, please visit this website.

ABOUT ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
Elizabeth City State University provides students with a high-quality, affordable education as one of North Carolina’s leading four-year public institutions that is part of the University of North Carolina System. ECSU develops leaders who are courageous, resilient, and empowered through excellent student-centered, experiential learning. We offer baccalaureate, professional, and master’s degrees across a wide variety of interests. Excellence is the standard at Elizabeth City State University – success is our legacy. Come to Discover. Leave to Conquer. Visit ecsu.edu.

ABOUT GROW WITH GOOGLE
Grow with Google was started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers, and businesses. It provides training, tools, and expertise to help small business owners, veterans and military families, jobseekers and students, educators, startups, and developers. Since Grow with Google’s inception, it has helped more than nine million Americans develop new skills. Grow with Google has a network of more than 8,500 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce, and nonprofits to help people coast-to-coast.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the PK-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.