Benedict College’s new ServiceNow Tech Center, which celebrated its grand opening today, aims to expand the scope of today’s tech workforce pipeline.
The center, located inside Benedict’s Business Development Center at 2601 Read St., is part of a $1 million multiyear strategic partnership between Benedict and ServiceNow, a California-based company that aims to provide traditionally underrepresented learn the digital skills needed in today’s workforce.
The partnership, which takes effect in 2021, also includes five years of ServiceNow-awarded scholarships for Benedict students pursuing science, technology, engineering arts or math degrees as well as access to a ServiceNow HBCU Bootcamp program that uses customized, hands-on learning to help prepare students for tech careers.
ServiceNow offers a cloud-based workflow automation platform that helps businesses and organizations streamline work processes.
Roslyn Clark Artis, president and CEO of Benedict College, joined ServiceNow chairman and CEO Bill McDermott at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new center, and community members and Benedict students walked the bright center area decorated with minimalist and stylish furniture.
The center includes a state-of-the-art computer lab with maker space, laptop stations, pitch room, private study room and student lounge, as well as updated network infrastructure and new devices to give students critical access in technology.
Karen Pavlin, chief equity and inclusion officer for ServiceNow, described how the strategic partnership is part of the company’s ongoing mission to bring greater diversity to the tech industry as a whole.
“One of my best experiences was talking to a Benedict student who said he was excited to see someone like him in a leadership position in the tech industry,” Pavlin said. “Serving underrepresented groups and getting them involved in the industry is what gets me up every morning.”
Artis said the center is part of Benedict’s ongoing commitment to preparing its students for the global workforce. In 2020, the school was named one of the Top 10 smaller HBCUs for STEM education by The Hundred-Seven, a national database of information about historically Black colleges and universities.
“Benedict always strives to bring out people’s potential,” Artis told SC Biz News. “We know that America is rapidly diversifying, and this tech center allows us another opportunity that we can provide for our Black and brown students and also offer the opportunity for us to help diversify the tech industry.”
Reach Christina Lee Knauss at 803-753-4327.