HP’s HBCU Tech Conference Accelerates Digital Transformation So Students Can Thrive
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Posted By: Reginald Culpepper on October 11, 2022 By Marcellus Womack One of the most transformational experiences for an ambitious college student is the opportunity to learn from people who are among the best at what they do, then use that knowledge to advance their journey. The HBCU Tech Conference presented by HP in partnership with Microsoft and Intel delivered that experience during the four-day virtual event September 13–16, attracting more than 1,000 HBCU students, faculty, IT staff and university leaders from more than 80 HBCUs. Students received top billing as future innovators who require equal access to pivotal resources to prepare them to thrive as professionals and entrepreneurs in the fourth industrial revolution. A Black Billionaire’s Generational Wealth Call-to-Action The conference kicked off with a fireside chat with the world’s wealthiest African-American, billionaire business mogul and philanthropist Robert F. Smith. He led the discussion with a shocking statistic: 80 percent of HBCUs sit in “digital deserts” without adequate broadband access or high-speed connectivity. “If our students don’t have broadband and computing capacity, it will limit their gaining access to this economy,” he said. “We have to get those tools and resources to ensure HBCUs have access and infrastructure to teach and train our students to be a part [of the fourth industrial revolution] as a producer, not just a consumer, of the technology.” According to projections, an unparallelled $68 trillion transfer of wealth will occur over the next 25 years. “If we miss out on this fourth industrial revolution, it’s going to be generations before we can participate again,” Smith said. “We must provide enough access for our digitally native students to flourish.” A career accelerator hosted by HP University Recruitment and LinkedIn provided tools and on-demand content to help students prepare for and excel at internship and job placement interviews with HP, Intel, Microsoft and several other corporate partners. Tunde Agboke, Worldwide Education Impact Managerat HP, began his HP journey as an MBA intern, and was offered a full-time position in HP Worldwide Education. Agboke now champions efforts within HP to continue developing more education solutions that create equitable opportunities for students, like the Future of Work Academy for the HBCU Tech Conference. Building on the success of the inaugural Future of Work Academy in 2021, Tunde expanded the FOWA offering in the breadth of experiences to four industries, and the depth of engagement to include more career preparation and development sessions. “The addition of the career accelerator was, by far, the most important change in this year’s event,” he said. “Through it, we’ve been able to offer students a variety of internships in cybersecurity, digital marketing and finance.” Future of Work Academy Professional Development Series During the conference, students could take part in the Future of Work Academy (FOWA) comprising 26 thought leadership and technical learning sessions on emerging technologies that are changing the world. The purpose of the FOWA is to create awareness and generate interest amongst students about future of work trends, while simultaneously showcasing and investing in students’ minds and talent. “HBCUs are the premier cultivators and incubators of Black talent and technological innovation in America. It’s imperative that companies be strategic and intentional about inclusion, and create clear pathways to tech careers and business opportunities for the best and brightest Black talent,” said Lesley Slaton Brown, HP’s chief diversity officer. The academy also included four innovation incubator competitions that allowed students to solve real-world business problems. eSports Gaming Competition  The business challenge: Students competed in a Call of Duty mini esports tournament showcase. They were provided content that included the career paths, gaming design, marketing, event planning, production, and the tournament ecosystem. 1st Place: Devon Sydney - Morehouse College 2nd Place: Armani Phillips - Fisk University Bot-A-Thon Incubator  The business challenge: Students created a bot to solve a real-world problem facing their campus and fellow students. 1st Place: Emmanuel Adeyemi & Rohan Ray Yadav - Fisk University 2nd Place: Jimmy Greer - Tennessee State University 3rd Place: Mahlangu Nzunda & Faith Oseone Iseguede - Jackson State University Marketing Incubator  The business challenge: Students developed a social media campaign that empowers underrepresented creators and micro-business owners to foster a deeper connection with their communities, using the power of HP tech to unlock their full potential. 1st Place: Nickida Stephens - Bowie University Quenisha Cleamons - Elizabeth City State University 2nd Place: Opeyeoluwa Olanipekun - Alcorn State University & Chelsey Page - Alabama A&M University 3rd Place: Wynter Stokes - Spelman College & Devian Stallworth - Alabama State University Health IT Incubator  The business challenge: Students were introduced to the disconnect in data and information flowing bi-directionally across first responders and emergency departments, and the implications for patients and clinicians. Students identified a potential solution. 1st Place: Adeleye Mesogboriwon - Edward Waters University, John Idoko - Texas State University, Kehinde Ezekial - Bethune-Cookman University, & Sheila Malone, Jackson State University 2nd Place: Chukwu Uzor - Texas State University, Peter Musenge - Saint Augustine’s University, Solomon Ugbane - Prairie View A&M, & Zekari Gordon - Alabama State University 3rd Place: Lydia Ekhorose Aghahowa - Texas Southern University & Semaj Morris - Alabama State University Members of the winning teams will participate in the Leadership Connect program in early October, offering them a talent pipeline-focused opportunity to connect and learn from HP’s leadership and HBCU alum. They also received $2,000 worth of HP computer and gaming hardware products. Digital Transformation HBCU Insights: HolonIQ HP has also partnered with HolonIQ, a global leading platform for impact intelligence, to conduct an HBCU digital transformation study that will help HBCUs benchmark their journeys and engage in conversations with other HBCUs. During the conference, HolonIQ’s co-CEO Patrick Brothers presented several insights from a survey conducted across 50 HBCUs participating in the conference. ● 59% of HBCUs say “they are in a better position” than before COVID (vs. 34% of U.S. colleges and universities). ● The top challenge for HBCUs in preparing students for future employment is “industry collaboration and partnerships” at 60% (vs. the top challenge for U.S. colleges and universities of “building relevant job skills” at 79%). ● Cybersecurity is the digital curriculum area HBCUs felt required the most support at their institution to ensure programs meet learner and industry needs (76%). ● The emerging technologies that HBCUs believe will most help prepare students for future work are artificial intelligence (74%), adaptive learning (67%), augmented and virtual learning (65%), simulation (63%), and robotics (54%). IT Certification Pathways One of the standout sessions for the HBCU IT staff track was a presentation by Kirk Smallwood, SVP of U.S. Academic Business Development for CompTIA. CompTIA is a nonprofit that designs certifications to help individuals land entry-level positions in the IT industry. CompTIA is involved in three certification pathways: infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data and analytics. According to Smallwood, 22% of people are considering a career in tech with median salaries more than double that of non-tech occupations. What’s needed today in the IT industry? “Soft skills and more training for teachers,” said Smallwood. With more tech companies placing an emphasis on reskilling and upskilling, students going into IT careers will have to get used to taking certification tests. Smallwood encouraged HBCU IT staff to share with students the top industry recognized certifications and ensure professors make the certifications part of the curriculum. Digital Transformation: The Only Choice For Financial Freedom Dr. Dennis Kimbro, a professor at Clark Atlanta University and author of “Think and Grow Rich, A Black Choice,” delivered a fiery closing keynote for the conference. Dr. Kimbro encouraged the HBCU faculty to embrace the 4Cs for digital transformation: collaboration tools, critical thinking, creativity, and open communication. Dr. Kimbro reinforced the power of agency and an entrepreneurial mindset for students entering today’s digital workforce. “Find some place where you can bring your full authentic self to the task at hand. If you can’t be who you are where you are, then you need to change where you are, not who you are.” HP’s goal is to become the most sustainable and just technology company in the world. The HBCU Tech Conference has proven to be an impactful activation along its digital equity path to deliver digital access for all. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Reginald Culpepper
President, Fulfillment and Web Services, HBCUCONNECT Clark Atlanta University class of 1998 Member Since September 2000 |
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