Perficient, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRFT) (“Perficient”), the leading global digital consultancy transforming the world’s largest enterprises and biggest brands, today announced the launch of Bright Paths, a program designed to advance STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented constituencies and communities. Perficient’s Bright Paths program will partner with Strategic Education, Inc., an education services company focused on advancing economic mobility for working adults, to create relevant learning experiences that prepare students for the workforce, and further drive innovation and growth in the technology industry.
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“As a global digital consulting firm with nearly 4,500 employees, Perficient is a company full of diverse and immensely capable colleagues, and we understand the importance of supporting the professional development of our global community,” said Jeff Davis, Chairman and CEO. “Yet there remains a gap in opportunities for STEM careers and education across our communities, especially among women in the field. We recognize the need to drive inclusion and equity, and we’re committed to pursuing progress in this critical area.”
Research shows that the number of women serving as computing professionals has experienced a long period of decline. Perficient is committed to focusing on advancing women in technology to facilitate STEM career growth, and building a technology community dedicated to supporting diversity.
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The first Bright Paths training program will be a partnership between Perficient and Strategic Education’s Hackbright Academy, an all-women’s coding bootcamp and software engineering program.
Set to launch in March 2021 at an online pop-up campus in Detroit, the Perficient-sponsored Hackbright Academy cohort will include up to 25 women who will attend a fully-paid, customized coding bootcamp for between 10 – 14 weeks. Perficient’s goal is to extend a number of qualified cohort graduates a full-time job in the software engineering and development field, where they will partner with one of the world’s biggest brands in the Detroit metro region.
“We believe Perficient colleagues are the best and brightest in the industry, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide an opportunity for women to not only grow their STEM careers, but to join our highly skilled and innovative workforce,” said Tom Hogan, Perficient’s chief operating officer. “Together with Strategic Education and Hackbright Academy, we’re taking action to pursue progress centered on diversity and enhancing the communities in which we live and work.”
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