Infor, a leading provider of industry-specific cloud applications, and #YesWeCode today announced the launch of GenOne, an Infor and #YesWeCode initiative to increase diversity of the tech workforce in one generation. This initiative, which is in coordination with the Infor Education Alliance Program, was unveilved from the main stage of Inforum, Infor’s annual customer conference, and will continue to expand throughout 2019.
This groundbreaking partnership between #YesWeCode and Infor is being catalyzed by the leadership of Infor CEO Charles Phillips and Social Entrepreneur and Host of The Van Jones show on CNN, Van Jones to recruit, train, and place underrepresented talent in Technology. Participants in this partnership go through a highly-tuned industry and role-based training and support program in under 4 months with the aim of placing them in well-paying roles across the technology ecosystem.
“Technology is changing the way humans live, work, and interact and innovation will only accelerate. Companies like Infor can help define the future of work and develop talent for the new economy. To meet the needs of the industry and the economy, we need to include all communities ,” said Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor. “At Infor we value diversity and believe in human potential. We are proud to partner with #YesWeCode to launch the GenOne initiative with the goal of arming young people today with the skills needed to be the tech leaders of tomorrow.”
The GenOne Initiative is bringing together the talent of both entities, galvanizing the momentum of a national media campaign helping to reshape who we see as tech creators and contributors, focusing on the change management needed to not just place but also retain diverse talent and inviting other companies to join in the efforts so that collectively we are redefining technology together.
The initial phase is a NYC-based cohort of underrepresented students between the ages of 18-35 who will take part in a 3-month intensive training program in NYC to be ready for placement into technology jobs. Additional phases of this initiate will scale and expand the number of students and the geographic reach of this project over 2019.
“When we started #YesWeCode, we saw an opportunity to change the odds for success in STEM by encouraging candidates from disadvantaged or non-traditional backgrounds to pursue careers in technology. The technology of tomorrow needs to be conceptualized, designed and created by a diverse workforce to meet the needs of a diverse world. We are thrilled to partner with Infor, one of the largest software companies in the world, on this mission. While most people are familiar with consumer technologies, by partnering with Infor, #YesWeCode can expose more people to employment opportunities in the large market for business computing. When companies step up and invest in talent, we all win,” said Van Jones, founder of #YesWeCode.