Bridging opportunity in San Diego’s innovation economy
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Small businesses and startups, this one’s for you.
Fueled by tech, defense, and life science industries, San Diego’s innovation economy relies on a pipeline of diverse talent. But local companies continue to say that access to quality talent is a persistent challenge. 98% of firms in San Diego are small companies (fewer than 100 employees), and often lack time and resources to effectively compete for talent with their larger counterparts. Meanwhile, many San Diegans are disconnected from high-demand job opportunities like software engineering, largely due to education requirements.
Made possible by JPMorgan Chase, Advancing San Diego aims to connect local small companies to qualified talent.
My small company or startup wants to get involved.
Over the next three years, Advancing San Diego will cover the cost of internships for Preferred Provider students within up to 100 small companies.
Students will also participate in industry engagement opportunities such as career fairs and networking events, and become eligible for up to $500 each in flexible funds to support their success in the workplace. The Preferred Provider (full) and (partial) designations come with the same set of benefits. The first cohort will be placed in Summer 2020.
If you are a small company (<100 employees) that is interested in receiving interns from STEM fields and meets the eligibility criteria, apply now!
In the meantime, please register to attend our workshop geared toward building and improving your company’s internship program. While it is not a requirement for companies to attend the workshop and be eligible to host interns, it is highly encouraged.
Where can I find these interns?
Over the last six months, Advancing San Diego partners worked with a group of 17 employers to develop a skills-based criteria for the region’s highest growth position over the past five years–software engineers. We asked that any education provider meeting that criteria apply for the Preferred Provider designation. An employer review panel then evaluated these applicants against the skills criteria to determine which programs should be designated as ‘Preferred Providers’, recognized as effectively preparing individuals for jobs and internships in software engineering.
EDC is excited to announce the first round of Preferred Providers of software talent.
Preferred Providers (Full Designation) – defined as fully preparing individuals for software engineering jobs.
- CSU San Marcos – Computer Science Department
- San Diego Code School – Full Stack JS Apprenticeship Program
- San Diego State University – Computer Science Department
- UC San Diego – Jacobs School of Engineering
Preferred Providers (Partial Designation) – defined as providing the foundational skillsets necessary for students to pursue a software engineering internship.
- Mesa College – Computer and Information Science Department
- MiraCosta College – Computer Science Department
- UC San Diego Extension – Technology and Engineering Department
For more information, visit AdvancingSD.org.