WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Two-hundred
students from diverse backgrounds will receive scholarships funded
by AT&T and Udacity for an online degree that will help prepare
them for careers in the tech industry. Announced today at The
Atlantic's Technologies in Education 2014 forum, the scholarships
will cover the costs for students to earn nanodegrees.
"Nanodegrees are a new type of credential for students anywhere
to have access to affordable training. Earning this
credential will soon become a key part of AT&T's training and
talent acquisition model and our hope is that it will be recognized
by other employers in a similar fashion," said Scott S. Smith, Senior Vice President of Human
Resources Operations at AT&T.
"Our collaboration with AT&T to design and deliver
nanodegrees is a first in the industry. We will support deserving
students who are eager to gain relevant skills to advance their
tech careers," said Clarissa Shen,
Vice President of Business Development at Udacity.
And through AT&T Aspire, AT&T's signature education
initiative, the company is introducing the program's capabilities
to approximately 10 national and regional non-profits that will be
selected to award the scholarships. AT&T Aspire brings together
AT&T employees, nonprofit organizations and community members
to help equip students with the skills they need to excel in the
digital, global economy.
Each organization receiving the scholarships helps students
focus on school success and career readiness. The organizations
include, but are not limited, to: Boys & Girls Clubs of
America, Communities In Schools, Genesys Works, Girls Who
Code, Jobs for America's Graduates, and Year Up.
"Nanodegrees are an opportunity for these students to receive
training for entry-level software development jobs," said
Anne Wintroub, Director of Social
Innovation, AT&T. "Providing these scholarships will empower
students across the country with high quality, affordable training
for tech skills needed by today's businesses."
AT&T and Udacity will launch nanodegrees later this year.
Top-performing graduates will be eligible for up to 100 paid
internships being offered by AT&T.
"These nanodegree scholarships will give our students access to
new and exciting opportunities," said Casey
Recupero, National Director, Partnerships & Innovation
at Year Up. "By making education affordable, more talented,
motivated young adults like the ones we serve will be able to gain
the technical skills necessary to gain sustainable careers and
reach economic self-sufficiency."
The nanodegree courses are delivered through the Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC) platform and designed to be completed within
6-12 months. The courses are self-paced with personalized coaches
and access to industry experts every step of the way. The degrees
are efficient, focused and affordable, making them extremely
applicable to the needs of today's tech-centric world.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding
company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are
the providers of AT&T services in the
United States and internationally. With a powerful array of
network resources that includes the nation's most reliable 4G LTE
network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high
speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile
Internet, AT&T also offers the best global wireless coverage,
based on offering roaming in more countries than any other U.S.
based carrier, and offers the most wireless phones that work in the
most countries. It also offers advanced TV service with the
AT&T U-verse® brand. The company's suite of IP-based
business communications services is one of the most advanced in the
world.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and
services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is
available at http://about.att.com or follow our news on Twitter at
@ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/att.
© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein
are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T
affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.
Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on
nationwide 4G LTE networks. 4G LTE availability varies.
About Udacity
Udacity's mission is to bring accessible, affordable, engaging
and highly effective learning to the world. The company,
headquartered in Silicon Valley, works with industry leaders
including AT&T, Google, Facebook, Salesforce.com and Cloudera
to build technology classes that are designed to advance lifelong
learning. For more information, go to www.Udacity.com.
About Philanthropy at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening
communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives,
AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create
learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement;
or address community needs. In 2013, more than $130 million was contributed or directed through
corporate-, employee-, social investment- and AT&T
Foundation-giving programs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T's signature
education initiative that drives innovation in education by
bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding,
technology, employee volunteerism and mentoring.
© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein
are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T
affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.
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