Apple to give $20K in college scholarships as part of diversity initiative
In its push toward a more diverse corporate America, Apple on Tuesday announced two $10,000 scholarships for minority university students looking at future careers in the tech industry.
The "Product Integrity Inclusion and Diversity Scholarship" includes two awards meted out by the company's Product Integrity group, which is described by Apple as a combination of "Hardware Reliability, Product Safety, Environmental Technologies, and Hardware and Software Test Engineering" teams. Together, the specialists form one division that works together with other corporate divisions on new consumer products.
As stipulated by Apple, eligible scholarship candidates need to be women, black/African American, Hispanic, or Native American university students attending an accredited institution in fall 2015. Further, all students must be at least sophomores in a bachelor's degree program, or seeking a master's degree or doctorate in computer science or related field.
For one scholarship, dubbed "sensor," Apple is asking applicants to propose a new sensor for inclusion in an Apple product. Along with detailing the sensor's attributes and benefits to the end user, applicants must detail quality, safety, manufacturing and other design aspects.
The second award requests design proposals for a test track meant to trial a vehicle that will carry astronauts to Jupiter's moon Europa. Students must supply design renderings, material suggestions and more to ensure the track pushes the vehicle to its limits.
Each scholarship applicant will automatically be considered for an internship through Apple's rolling program, which is usually on a hiring schedule that coincides with spring and fall college semesters. Jobs run the gamut, from software engineering to hardware systems testing and beyond.
The scholarships appear to be an extension of Apple's recent efforts to diversify the workplace. In August, for example, the company published its first-ever diversity report, which was followed by a video noting the "inclusion" of U.S. minorities inspires innovation. The short film was narrated by VP of Human Resources Denise Young Smith.
The "Product Integrity Inclusion and Diversity Scholarship" includes two awards meted out by the company's Product Integrity group, which is described by Apple as a combination of "Hardware Reliability, Product Safety, Environmental Technologies, and Hardware and Software Test Engineering" teams. Together, the specialists form one division that works together with other corporate divisions on new consumer products.
As stipulated by Apple, eligible scholarship candidates need to be women, black/African American, Hispanic, or Native American university students attending an accredited institution in fall 2015. Further, all students must be at least sophomores in a bachelor's degree program, or seeking a master's degree or doctorate in computer science or related field.
For one scholarship, dubbed "sensor," Apple is asking applicants to propose a new sensor for inclusion in an Apple product. Along with detailing the sensor's attributes and benefits to the end user, applicants must detail quality, safety, manufacturing and other design aspects.
The second award requests design proposals for a test track meant to trial a vehicle that will carry astronauts to Jupiter's moon Europa. Students must supply design renderings, material suggestions and more to ensure the track pushes the vehicle to its limits.
Each scholarship applicant will automatically be considered for an internship through Apple's rolling program, which is usually on a hiring schedule that coincides with spring and fall college semesters. Jobs run the gamut, from software engineering to hardware systems testing and beyond.
The scholarships appear to be an extension of Apple's recent efforts to diversify the workplace. In August, for example, the company published its first-ever diversity report, which was followed by a video noting the "inclusion" of U.S. minorities inspires innovation. The short film was narrated by VP of Human Resources Denise Young Smith.
Comments
I suppose this is the right idea (from a pandering point of view), although it would be nicer if the scholarship were not based on race, sex or other limitations. Quite frankly, industry should be forming guilds and alliances to subsidize or replace public education anyway, since public schools are doing such a lousy job of educating kids. In all honesty, I believe sports programs should be removed from schools and private sports universities should be sponsored by the NBA, NFL, etc. as they are the sole benefactors of the "puppy mill" sports systems that exists today.
A return to guilds and apprentice systems where education ensures the continuation of businesses which need skilled employees should be welcomed. Existing schools teach information which is seldom relevant to success.
Overdue.
It's only two scholarships for 10k each, so this is not a big deal really, but I am opposed to it nonetheless out of principle.
Diversity is a liberal codeword for it's ok to be racist as long as we're liberals and let's call it diversity!
They're not fooling me.
Overdue.
Not mandatory.
Diversity is a liberal codeword for it's ok to be racist as long as we're liberals and let's call it diversity!
Agreed.
Diversity - Liberal code word for "anybody who isn't a hetrosexual white male".
All of them, inherently.
...it would be nicer if the scholarship were not based on race, sex or other limitations. Quite frankly, industry should be forming guilds and alliances to subsidize or replace public education anyway, since public schools are doing such a lousy job of educating kids.
Why do you believe Apple and other tech companies do not already offer unrestricted scholarships? Perhaps Apple is trying to address an imbalance in the pool of students that are receiving them. Alternatively, perhaps Apple believes that increasing the number of qualified black/African American, Hispanic, and Native American candidates who are qualified for the jobs Apple is offering will help the company reach their diversity targets without needing to institute "quotas" in hiring.
Let us remember, Apple is not taking anything away from students of other racial backgrounds. Those students may still seek, compete for, and obtain resources as they have been doing. Apple is merely offering additional resources to a group of students who are under-represented in the discipline. I think encouraging education is the best way to achieve balance in the workforce. And that is a good thing.
Other tech companies should re-direct some of the money they're spending on lawyers for pointless lawsuits to directly solve some of their diversity issues AT THE SOURCE: Obtaining educated and trained candidates.
It's only two scholarships for 10k each, so this is not a big deal really....
Agreed... Apple should offer a hundred of them, two in each State. Every year. That would be a big deal. I disagree, however, with the rest of your rant, which I view as misguided.
Why do you believe Apple and other tech companies do not already offer unrestricted scholarships?
I'd be interested in evidence that supports this theory, however it should be noted that Apple is not obligated to offer any scholarships to any person in any event. This is a "political" decision to appease special interests and make points among competing Silicon Valley hoi polloi. Didn't this idiocy start when Facebook released the ethnic spectrum of their employees? Silicon Valley companies are now in a pissing contest to see who is more politically correct.
$10K? Wow what a token gesture.
Yeah, I don't know how much Apple makes per hour on average, and I'm not going to take the time to look it up or research it or do the math on it, but $20,000?
Apple probably makes that in 12 milliseconds.
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If I were a racist liberal who ran around extolling the wonderful virtues of "diversity", then I'd be insulted by that $20 k figure, and I would take it as a slap in the face.
Agreed... Apple should offer a hundred of them, two in each State. Every year. That would be a big deal. I disagree, however, with the rest of your rant, which I view as misguided.
So instead of just being mildly racist, it's better to be extremely racist? That's an interesting view, and I would have to disagree with it.
Yeah, I don’t know how much Apple makes per hour on average, and I'm not going to take the time to look it up or research it or do the math on it, but $20,000? Apple probably makes that in 12 milliseconds.
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Wolfram|Alpha is great for this. Punch in 36 billion per 90 days and tell it to convert to dollars per second.
$4629.63 per second.
Wolfram|Alpha is great for this. Punch in 36 billion per 90 days and tell it to convert to dollars per second.
$4629.63 per second.
That's cool!
So it would take Apple about 4.3 seconds to make $20,000.00
Wolfram|Alpha is great for this. Punch in 36 billion per 90 days and tell it to convert to dollars per second.
$4629.63 per second.
That's a lot of apps.