National transportation leader provided career skill-building workshop for Bay Area community college students
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2023) –HNTB Corporation, in partnership with Growth Sector, recently led a professional development and skill-building workshop for community college students in the Bay Area. Students from Growth Sector, an organization that encourages STEM studies in community colleges, gained real-world job application experience and insights into engineering and transportation careers as part of the Growth Sector’s STEM Core Initiative.
HNTB partnered with the STEM Core Initiative through its membership in the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a business organization comprised of hundreds of the area’s most dynamic companies working to shape the innovation economy of California and the nation.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I understand the significance of initiatives such as Growth Sector’s in supporting students, especially those hailing from historically underserved backgrounds, as they navigate their way through college,” said Lacy Vong, San Jose group director at HNTB. “HNTB firmly believes in the importance of diversity in STEM, and we’re proud to be part of shaping the future of the transportation and engineering workforce in the country’s most prominent tech hub.”
Students from Growth Sector’s STEM Core initiative, which aims to introduce students to different STEM careers and companies, were invited to attend the one-day workshop at HNTB’s San Jose offices. HNTB employees of all levels facilitated mock interviews, resume reviews, an interactive panel and an in-depth Q&A session.
“Building personal networks and hearing first-hand experiences of people in the STEM field is incredibly powerful for our local students,” said Rebecca Mora Baldwin, STEM Core program coordinator at Growth Sector. “Through this event, students received advice directly from employees who have also taken non-traditional routes into the industry. They also shared insight about forecasted infrastructure plans for the Bay Area, painting a bigger picture for the growth of the industry. HNTB has helped us build a bridge connecting our network to direct scholarship and career development opportunities they might not have had access to otherwise.”
HNTB’s membership in SVLG underscores its commitment to community and workforce development in the regions it serves. As part of this partnership, HNTB is a participant in SVLG’s Inclusion and Belonging Center of Expertise and anticipates further participation in future events to assist SVLG in enhancing workforce diversity.
“The goal of SVLG’s Inclusion and Belonging Center of Expertise is to make Silicon Valley the nation’s leading destination for diverse talent, inclusive of the full career spectrum,” said David Palter, senior director of higher education and workforce development at SVLG. “HNTB’s intentional, BIPOC-student-centered engagement here is a shining example of how SVLG member companies can help achieve this goal. Lacy Vong and her colleagues went above and beyond as hosts, ensuring that each student we brought to their office received one-on-one attention and — importantly — that the students could see themselves in the professionals with whom they spoke.”
Students enrolled at four-year accredited schools are eligible for HNTB’s intern program, which serves as a pipeline to hire for full-time positions. HNTB currently has open internship positions in the Bay Area and other office locations around the U.S. For more information and current openings, visit hntb.jobs/university-careers.