Rutgers University And AT&T Team To Address The Black And Hispanic Dropout Problem

Diversity Inc: AT&T & Rutgers on Solving the Dropout Crisis

Nearly one-half of Black and Latino youth combined in the United States fail to graduate from high school, researchers at Northeastern University have found, leading to poverty and unemployment and threatening the U.S. competitiveness in the global economy.

“But the work force of our future is predicated on a quality applicant pool that’s a diversified one,” says Cathy Martine, executive vice president of AT&T small-business solutions and alternate channels (No. 2 in The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®). “It’s our commitment around the country … to help mentor and provide support to inner-city communities to allow these kids to see there is a future.”

That’s why AT&T Foundation recently pledged $150,000 to the Rutgers Future Scholars Program, a two-year-old initiative aimed at building a constant talent pipeline of Blacks, Latinos and other youth from low-income communities for corporations nationwide.

“Companies are coming to grips with the fact that they are a part of the solution and have a means to make a change,” says DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti, who sits on the Rutgers Board of Trustees and co-chairs the fundraising committee for the Rutgers Future Scholars Program.

Each year, about 200 promising seventh-graders—50 from each of Rutgers’ host communities of Camden, Newark, New Brunswick and Piscataway, N.J.—are selected based on academic performance to receive summer and school-year classes, tutoring, career counseling and more. Scholars who graduate apply to Rutgers University and are admitted will attend at no costand will receive continued educational support.The first group of scholars is expected to graduate in 2017.

AT&T, which has contributed $185,000 over the past two years to this program alone, recognizes that filling its pipeline with a diverse slate of talent drives innovation. AT&T’s work force is 38 percent Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian, versus 34 percent nationally (EEOC). Another major sponsor of the Rutgers Future Scholars Program is The Merck Company Foundation, which has pledged $750,000 over five years. The foundation’s mission: “to assist in meeting the responsibilities of a good corporate citizen to the charitable, educational and other worthwhile needs of the communities in which it lives.” Merck & Co. is No. 8 on the DiversityInc Top 50.

“It’s about identifying kids early enough where they can see a career path within our company. Clearly, the area of technical capability is one we continue to emphasize,” says Martine, noting that these scholars will become AT&T’s recruitment feeder pool for computer science, engineering, technical sales and other jobs.