Waymo partners with LA-Tech.org to launch LA Tech x Waymo Career-Readiness Institute for underserved youth

Los Angeles, September 7, 2023 Last Thursday, at the Beehive in South LA, Waymo in collaboration with LA-Tech.org launched the pilot LA Tech x Waymo Career-Readiness Institute to advance opportunities in the tech industry for over 100 underserved youth in Los Angeles County this fall.

The Institute’s focus will be preparing college-age students for their first internship in tech by providing professional development, including a 1-day intensive professional skills bootcamp, and access to Waymo mentors who will work with them to ensure readiness for entering the job market. Additionally, Waymo mentors will help students prepare for careers with resume and Linkedin review sessions, interview prep and mock interviews.  A select group of these students will be eligible for the “Autonomous Vehicle Experience,” where students will explore careers in the nascent autonomous vehicle industry, participate in a field trip to Waymo’s facilities and explore Waymo’s technology.

Of the first cohort of the LA Tech x Waymo Career-Readiness Institute, 96% identify as BIPOC and 75% are the first in their family to attend college.

Los Angeles is known as the car capital of the world. What better place to begin to introduce young people to careers in the future of automotive technology. Waymo is proud to join with LA-Tech.org to launch a pilot Career-Readiness Institute to start building pathways from under-resourced communities into this exciting new industry.

– Michelle Peacock, Global Head of Policy, Waymo

There are so many communities in Los Angeles where young people have not had access to careers in emerging technologies or industry mentors to support them. By partnering with Waymo, we can expose our students to the emerging autonomous vehicle industry, show them the jobs that are available and connect them to the Waymo mentors who can guide them on a pathway to a career in tech.

– Marialuisa Ferro, Director of Programs, LA-Tech.org

WAYMO

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has been focused on improving the world's access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. To date, Waymo has driven tens of millions of miles on public roads and tens of billions of miles in simulation.  

To learn more visit waymo.com.