WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) today announced new strategic partnerships with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to advance STEM education for students of color. These alliances aim to drive equity in education opportunities while growing the aerospace and defense industry's future talent pipeline and add to a growing list of similar partnerships the company has established over the past year.

"By aligning with respected nonprofits such as Thurgood Marshall College Fund and SHPE, we're taking important steps in developing and diversifying the next generation of engineers for our industry while making progress in reaching our company's overall DE&I goals," said Marie Sylla-Dixon, Raytheon Technologies' chief diversity officer.

Raytheon Technologies and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund established a partnership offering scholarships and internships to students attending TMCF's publicly supported historically black colleges and universities. The Raytheon Technologies NextGen Pipeline Program will focus on providing real-world skills, experience and potential job placement opportunities for engineering, technology, finance and supply chain students. 

"At TMCF, we are dedicated to transforming the lives of our scholars by providing them with access to professional development and career opportunities," said Dr. Harry Williams, CEO of TMCF. "We are very excited about the partnership with Raytheon Technologies and know that it will create visibility into industries that may be new to many of our talented students."

Raytheon Technologies and SHPE, the nation's largest association dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership in STEM fields, also have united to support parents of first-generation and low-income students who are pursuing engineering degrees. The Equipando Padres (Equipping Parents) program will focus on supporting these guardians to better help their children earning engineering degrees.

"This program creates structure, processes, and resources that enable Hispanic parents to be an asset for their child," says SHPE's Board Chair, Miguel Alemañy. "We are so grateful that Raytheon Technologies understands this key component is missing for many of our students, and that together, we can help more Hispanic engineers succeed." 

Today's announcement builds on the company's broader four-pillar DE&I strategy that works to integrate and drive initiatives across talent management, community engagement, supplier diversity and public policy. For more information on Raytheon Technologies' DE&I initiatives, please visit us at www.rtx.com/social-impact/diversity-equity-inclusion  

About Raytheon Technologies
Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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SOURCE Raytheon Technologies