Tag: 3BL

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., announced the winners of the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship (QIF) Europe program, now in its 15th year: Dongqing Wang (EPFL), Neelu S. Kalani (EPFL), Chaitanya K. Joshi (University of Cambridge), Runa Eschenhagen (University of Cambridge), and Afra Amini (ETH Zürich)

QIF is an annual program that focuses on recognizing, rewarding, and mentoring the most innovative engineering PhD students across Europe, India, and the United States. The European program rewards excellent young researchers in the fields of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity with individual prizes of $40,000, dedicated mentors from the Qualcomm Technologies research team.

“This year we received almost 50% more submissions than last year, which really speaks to the growing field of machine learning, as well as the need to keep our rapidly developing software and hardware more secure.” said Michael Hofmann, Senior Director of Engineering at Qualcomm Technologies Netherlands B.V.. “The proposals this year were ranging from fundamental algorithms and large language models to exciting applications such as extended reality, generalisable computer vision, RNA design, and more. We are honored to mentor all the winners further in their research.”

The seventeen finalists were PhD candidates from ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, Tübingen University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, TU Delft, and Czech Technical University.

After careful review, the following five winners were selected for their outstanding proposals:

“Towards visually plausible and controllable 360° Virtual Reality” – Dongqing Wang

Creating visually plausible and controllable virtual reality (VR) of the real world is key to enabling quality immersive experiences in extended reality (XR) applications. NeuralRadiance Fields (NeRF) and their variants can model 360-degree real-world scenes for photorealistic novel view synthesis with low memory storage. Consequently, they have the potential to become widely accessible 3D world representations. However, the implicit nature of their underlying representation makes it challenging to directly edit a 3D NeRF scene. For controllability, we propose a 3-component strategy to enable an editing system on NeRF. The outcome of this proposal will aim to enable a visually plausible and controllable 360-degree virtual reality to enhance virtual world interaction.

“FlashPoint: Secure Dynamic Root of Trust “ – Neelu S. Kalani

The confidential computing field has seen significant advancements over the past decade. Even as confidential computing evolves, minimising the trusted compute base (TCB) remains crucial. So far, little focus has been put towards removing platform-specific firmware, that executes with the highest privileges alongside security monitors that provide confidential computing guarantees, from the TCB. In the meantime, numerous vulnerabilities in the large and buggy platform-specific firmware have been exploited (e.g. to leak the platform’s secret keys) to compromise the entire system’s security. We propose FlashPoint, a dynamic root of trust solution for RISC platforms. It comprises of ISA extensions to enable secure transitions between trusted and untrusted code executing in the highest privilege mode, without introducing a new privilege mode.

“Geometric Generative Models for 3D RNA Design” – Chaitanya K. Joshi

This proposal aims to develop the first deep learning framework for 3D RNA design. I will outline an execution plan for an RNA-centric 3D generative model that builds upon best practices that have revolutionized protein design. I will discuss why AlphaFold is not enough, how to address RNA-specific modelling challenges, and why incorporating inductive biases that drive RNA structure are critical to develop bespoke generative models for RNA design.

“An Adventure Towards Effective Controlled Text Generation” – Afra Amini

Imagine a scenario in which you are using the language model of your choice to generate a fictional story. You ask the language model to generate a story about a TikZ unicorn coming to life, and the model outputs a story. While being fascinated by this amazing technology, you realize that the story is too short for your purpose, the language that is used is very formal and not suited for your target audience, and the sentence structures are too complex. How can you systematically control these aspects in the generated story? Which knobs of the model do you have to tweak to ensure the generations satisfy the desired constraints? In this work, we explore recent advances in two research directions for systematically controlling text generation. We also demonstrate how these two approaches can be unified as different methods for approximating the same objective.

“Towards Understanding Curvature Matrices in Deep Learning” – Runa Eschenhagen

Many algorithms trying to address shortcomings of deep learning rely on approximations of the Hessian of the loss with regards to the neural network’s parameters or other related quantities, so-called curvature matrices. This includes second-order optimization methods for improved training efficiency, influence functions for data attribution, methods for pruning and compression, predictive uncertainty quantification, and more. However, the effect of the curvature approximation on downstream task performance is not well understood. My proposal aims to improve our understanding of commonly used curvature approximations, specifically variations of K-FAC. This has the potential to directly impact all applications that rely on these approximations, inform the design of new approximations, provide insights into training dynamics, and lay the foundation for new theoretical explanations.

About Qualcomm 
Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Our proven solutions drive transformation across major industries, and our Snapdragon® branded platforms power extraordinary consumer experiences. Building on our nearly 40-year leadership in setting industry standards and creating era-defining technology breakthroughs, we deliver leading edge AI, high-performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity. Together with our ecosystem partners, we enable next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance societies. At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering and research and development functions and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.

Contact Information

Mauricio Lopez-Hodoyan
Investor Relations
1-858-658-4813
ir@qualcomm.com

Clare Conley
Media Relations
1-858-845-5959
corpcomm@qualcomm.com

June 20 marks World Refugee Day, designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. The latest statistics show that more than 110 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide in 2023—the highest-ever single-year increase of displacement of people in history and twice the number of displacements from just ten years ago.

Countries hosting refugees face challenges integrating new arrivals into their societies. Digital inclusion may be a key for achieving this. Evidence from the EU suggests that training refugees in digital skills is vital to aid in their integration. And Cisco is working with the OECD to help develop an interactive knowledge hub to help understand technology’s role in fostering inclusion and improving well-being.

Around the world Cisco has numerous programs to support refugees. Many of these initiatives are designed to provide immediate assistance to displaced persons in need. Cisco Networking Academy’s focus on transforming the lives of learners, educators, and communities through the power of technology, education, and career opportunities to power an inclusive future for all addresses the longer-term needs of underserved communities.

In the refugee space, programs such as Cisco For Ukraine in Poland are working towards empowering refugees with tech skills that will help refugees find employment and meaningful connections in their new countries.

Calling Australia home

Australia is home to the third highest percentage of immigrants (which includes refugees) and native-born offspring of immigrants in the OECD. Migrants in Australia have helped offset an ageing population and improved workforce participation and productivity. And while migrants tend to be more highly educated than Australians, there is a low rate of recognition of previous qualifications, meaning they tend to be overeducated for the jobs they occupy.

Community Corporate is a Cisco Networking Academy working to address this issue with the refugee community in Australia.

“This was a two-year pilot that the federal government subsidized us for,” says Founder and CEO of Community Corporate Carmen Garcia. “Our hypothesis was that refugees with overseas qualifications and some experience would be much more accelerated to meet industry demand for jobs with the right vendor partner upskilling program in place.”

Skills to jobs

Community Corporate is putting refugees from Afghanistan, Jordan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen, who have been in Australia from as little as four months to 15 years, through the Cisco Networking Academy program, and placing them with employers.

“Our model as a social enterprise is payment by outcomes,” says Carmen. “Employers don’t pay us unless they retain the talent. We are committed to working with both employer and the refugee candidate for those 12 months, that’s why there’s high conversion.”

“No one chooses to be a refugee. I think people forget that”

“No one chooses to be a refugee. I think people forget that,” says Carmen. “Here are some amazing individuals who are being proactive. They did 150 hours of Cisco Networking Academy coursework. They weren’t paid. They chose to do that. This just shows how resilient, how determined new Australians are to make the most of their lives here.”

Carmen says the pass-rate for the participants is very high, and that for “the vast majority of the participants, it’s about confidence. And that’s about believing in their talent.”

It has helped that instructor Ying Ying Yang—herself an immigrant to Australia—volunteered her time to assist with the training. Ying Ying faced many challenges similar to the refugee cohort when studying the Cisco Networking Academy in Australia, so was able to relate.

“The learners may have some background knowledge but because of the new environment, they are a bit shy to ask the questions to know where to start,” she says.

“When it comes to the new environment, I just use my own experience and to encourage them, to give them some idea, because I’m an immigrant to Australia too. When I started, I didn’t even come from an IT background, and everything seemed hard, but it just takes a bit of time,” says Ying Ying.

Sometimes language can be a problem, but Ying Ying and Community Corporate offered some assistance here too. “Cisco provides a fabulous English course, English for IT,” says Ying Ying. “We decided to give the students access to the course. It has a focus on IT terminology. I think that course is really good, and I review it to learn the words in the IT work environment to communicate with others. It is a good course!”

Overcoming bias

Community Corporate’s partnerships with employers help too. “It’s the matchmaker concept of really understanding what employers are looking for, and then helping to upskill the refugees with the technical and soft skills to be ready to match them for a sustainable, meaningful outcome,” says Carmen.

Overcoming the unconscious bias that remains in the recruitment process is one challenge. Recruiters don’t like to see gaps in resumes, but fleeing for your life is likely to create such a gap, notes Carmen.

“At the end of the day, business is business,” she says. “Reminding employers that Australia is one of the few OECD countries where a migrant population is actually more skilled than the native population makes people stop and think and wonder, hang on, why aren’t we tapping into this?”

Results and rewards

Carmen herself is the daughter of an immigrant who was a lawyer in the Philippines but had to do cleaning jobs to make ends meet when she arrived in Australia. As a teenager Carmen started volunteering to help advocate for fellow Filipinos and subsequently went on to found Community Corporate.

In 2024 Carmen was recognized as Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to the multicultural community through diversity and inclusion advocacy and programs.

“I just felt that it was about dignity and purpose,” says Carmen. “Some of our other earlier refugees who have been working for over 12 months have said they bought houses because they’ve got permanent full-time jobs. So, you know, one job does make a difference for a refugee.”

“It’s not social inclusion, it’s inclusion. It’s economic inclusion. Belonging.”

Learn more about Cisco Networking Academy on the Cisco ESG Reporting Hub

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The Curiosity Cube mobile science lab has become even more mobile, making its way to digital devices. The Curiosity Cube app from MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, brings the excitement of science to students in an interactive way.

The Curiosity Cube app builds upon the popularity and impact of the company’s mobile science lab and increases access to STEM education for young minds across the United States. It features three unique interactive experiments, each designed to enhance students’ understanding of the periodic table of elements and the various elements that surround us in nature, technology, and our bodies.

More than just an interactive game, the Curiosity Cube app provides a unique opportunity to learn from real-life scientists. Users can pose a Curious Question and vote on other questions to be answered by STEM experts. The app includes a career station, a valuable resource that showcases the diversity of career options in STEM. Through day-in-the-life videos, MilliporeSigma employees dive into STEM jobs in areas such as manufacturing, marketing, quality control and many others.

To experience the Curiosity Cube app, visit TheCuriosityCube.com or download the app via the Apple App Store or Google Play.

To learn more about the Curiosity Cube mobile science lab and view the 2024 tour schedule, visit TheCuriosityCube.com and follow the Curiosity Cube on Instagram @curiositycube_milliporesigma.

ATLANTA, July 9, 2024 /3BL/ – Henkel, a global company, marketing a wide range of well-known consumer and industrial brands, announced that it is expanding its national partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. This commitment is the latest in a partnership with Habitat for Humanity that spans the globe.

This year, Henkel’s Loctite Consumer & Craftsman Division, based out of Westlake, Ohio, is collaborating with Habitat on the Loctite 2nd Chance House. For this project, Henkel is providing $200,000 in monetary support and product donations to help the global housing organization build affordable housing in Cleveland, Ohio.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, landfills in the United States account for approximately 146.1 million tons of waste, which includes glass, plastics, food, construction waste, and other textiles. Through the Loctite 2nd Chance House campaign, Henkel aims to reduce waste that ends up in landfills and give everyday items, including furniture and building materials, a second chance. During the project, Henkel will volunteer with and donate products to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Henkel will also document the journey of giving this home a 2nd chance and show consumers how they too can restore items in their daily lives.

Since 2013, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has purchased vacant homes to refurbish and sell to qualified homeowners. In giving these homes, a ‘2nd chance’, Greater Cleveland Habitat not only improves the visual appeal of the neighborhood but also welcomes new homeowners who actively engage in the community.

From 2016 to 2023, Greater Cleveland has successfully rehabbed 43 homes and completed 27 new construction homes in the Greater Buckeye-Woodhill/Mount Pleasant areas, with three more underway and scheduled for sale in 2024. Additionally, Greater Cleveland Habitat will construct 11 new homes this year, with six already underway.

“We are so excited to partner with Habitat on the Loctite 2nd Chance House,” said Frank Ziegler, Loctite Senior Brand Manager. “We are honored to be able to make a difference in our community, all while encouraging others to remove items from the landfill at home and on the jobsite.”

“Working alongside committed partners like Henkel allows Habitat to build or improve more homes in more communities for more families,” said Charlita Stephens-Walker, vice president of corporate and cause marketing partnerships at Habitat for Humanity International. “We know that Henkel and Habitat’s shared values will make this partnership a success and I’m excited to see what we will build together.”

This commitment is the latest in a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, with Henkel supporting in build projects across the United States, as well as countries around the world. Henkel also donated product in support of the 2023 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project which took place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Visit the Loctite 2nd Chance House website for updates and progress on the project.

“No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!”

It’s not just a catch phrase, it’s the mission at Sleep in Heavenly Peace in Buffalo where dozens of KeyBank teammates came together to help build beds on 2024 Neighbors Make the Difference Day, held on June 6th.

Watch a video with more information about why KeyBank teammates volunteered at Sleep in Heavenly Peace on Neighbors Make the Difference Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G__fOOL8sx4

This long-standing annual event demonstrates KeyBank’s commitment to helping its neighbors and communities thrive. Neighbors Day began in 1991, when a group of KeyBank teammates in Alaska volunteered for service projects and dubbed the effort “Neighbors Make the Difference Day.” By 1993, the idea had swept across many of the communities that Key serves and became an official day of employee volunteerism. It is now the hallmark of KeyBank’s commitment to its neighborhoods.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace Buffalo is a 100% volunteer organization dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Often, these children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors, affecting their happiness and health. Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s mission aligns perfectly with KeyBank’s mission of helping the communities it serves thrive. KeyBank teammates contribute thousands of hours of their time and talents to local nonprofit organizations each year to give back to their local communities.

See WGRZ-TV’s coverage of this day of volunteerism in BuffaloLearn more about KeyBank’s Neighbors Make the Difference DayLearn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive

Whirlpool Corporation is proud to celebrate a remarkable group of its own engineers that have been nominated for the SWE 2024 Individual Awards by their colleagues and Whirlpool SWE chapter members in the US, Brazil and India.

Let’s give a round of applause to these extraordinary women and allies who are integral to the work at Whirlpool Corp. and are engineering solutions that improve life at home around the world.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading kitchen and laundry appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home and inspiring generations with our brands. The company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2023, the company reported approximately $19 billion in annual sales, 59,000 employees, and 55 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

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ATLANTA, July 9, 2024 /3BL/ – At Georgia-Pacific, we believe the best solutions in business come from the bottom up. Our cellulose mill system proved that principle this year, with a solution that started on a whiteboard in a break room just a few months earlier.

Since 2018, Georgia-Pacific has been partnering with Infor, another Koch company, to create a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for GP Cellulose. The companies built one system in Infor M3 that would monitor and manage facility distribution and inventory in real time.

For ERP to be effective, mill employees needed to be able to access and update data in M3 efficiently. However, the first application deployed to facilities for that purpose didn’t properly account for how shipping and inventory worked in the mills, frustrating both employees and customers.

Acknowledging that frustration began a process of transformation as the business partnered with employees to develop two new applications–Equipment Loading and Inventory Management–that truly met facility needs, gave the company more accurate data and improved customer experience, all while saving money.

“We put the power in our people’s hands,” said Derek Thomas, business process lead for GP Cellulose. “We got the users heavily involved to give feedback and help in the design, and they were super excited about that.”

A Solution That Didn’t Fit

Previously, GP Cellulose’s shipping and inventory data was scattered across more than 60 different applications, which made accessing up-to-date information a challenge. With the transition to ERP, the company invested millions into rolling out an app where employees could access real-time data from M3. The app pilot period began in 2021, with full deployment in April 2023.

Other manufacturing industries had used the app for years, but it had not been used in a cellulose mill environment before. It was designed specifically for mobile devices, so app pages contained less information in order to fit on a small screen.

While that worked for other industries, it was the wrong approach for GP Cellulose. Mill employees needed to record and edit data for many items quickly because of high distribution volume. Navigating through multiple pages for each individual item slowed things down significantly for employees and led to an increase in errors in customers’ orders. 

That in turn created extra work for customers as they had to account for shipments with incorrect quantities and inaccurate documentation, and it caused delays in the customs process for export customers. Ultimately, it meant Georgia-Pacific was falling short of its vision to be a preferred partner to customers in terms of demand fulfillment.

Gary Rutherford, inventory coordinator at the Leaf River cellulose mill in New Augusta, Mississippi, said it felt as if their needs hadn’t been considered.

“It was painful in the beginning,” Gary said. “We didn’t have any decision rights to make improvements.”

Some employees abandoned the app entirely out of frustration, which meant the data in M3 was inaccurate and incomplete. The solution handed from the top down wasn’t working and was costing a significant amount of money. Something had to be done.

Giving the Right People Input

At a summit at the Alabama River cellulose facility in Perdue Hill, Alabama, in September 2023, the GP Cellulose business process team met with representatives from the affected mills. Members of the Koch Principle Based Management™ team joined to facilitate the discussion, and an app developer attended to answer design questions.

Facility employees shared their top challenges and needs, which the team used to sketch out a plan tailored to make employees’ jobs easier.

“Really the solution was born on the whiteboard in that break room,” said Daniel Grafford, shipping superintendent at the Brunswick, Georgia, cellulose mill.

With that feedback from the field, Georgia-Pacific ultimately set to work with a preferred partner of Infor’s to build two new apps: one for loading and distribution and another for inventory. They also recruited users at facilities to test both apps while they were in development, providing additional feedback as they approached go-live.

The Equipment Loading app went live Feb. 12, 2024, after a little more than three months of development work. The Inventory Management app went live a few weeks later on March 28. Developing the new apps cost approximately $140,000, saving millions compared to the original app, and they were designed for the larger tablet and computer screens mill employees typically use, letting them see more information on a single screen with reduced loading times.

“On the Equipment Loading app, it definitely gave the operators the visibility they need,” Daniel said. “They have true weights. It shows you the lots produced for that order. It can also show you anything in the warehouse that could potentially be used for that order. And it gives them real-time information. It’s setting them up for success.”

Labeling inventory also took more clicks in the earlier app, and employees had to print labels one at a time. In the Inventory Management app, employees can quickly print labels for a large group of items all at once.

‘A Complete 180’

Results have improved dramatically since the new apps rolled out, with facility employees able to complete their responsibilities more efficiently and mills able to fulfill customer needs more reliably, reducing delays and incorrect orders.

“Things started getting better because they started getting input from people who actually work in the shipping departments and listening to what we actually needed for this thing to work,” said Kelvin Travis, warehouse supervisor at Leaf River. “That made all the difference.”

Employees have praised the improved user experience in the new apps, as well as the responsiveness of the app support teams in making updates based on their feedback. Meanwhile, facilities and the entire organization now have access to more accurate data, available in one place and updating in real time.

“It’s a complete 180,” Derek said. “We’ve regained our good will with the mills, because we’ve shown them that we’re willing to listen and do whatever it takes.”

And it all started with notes on a whiteboard.

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Atlantic City Electric is powering local communities beyond reliable energy service including through environmental stewardship and resiliency grants for South Jersey municipalities. Our Sustainable Communities Grant Program, which is facilitated by Sustainable Jersey, has provided $310,000 in grants to fund sustainability projects across South Jersey since 2020.

The Elsinboro Township Fire Department was a 2021 Resiliency Grant recipient that used a portion of the grant to purchase a utility terrain vehicle. The UTV allows emergency responders easier access to rural and riverfront community areas. This is just one of the many ways Atlantic City Electric is more than energy – empowering local communities where we live and work.

The 2024 Sustainable Communities Grant application process is open through June 27, 2024. Interested communities can learn more about the program and how to submit a grant request at atlanticcityelectric.com/SustainableCommunities.

Check out the video below to learn more about this project, our Sustainable Communities Grant program and the impacts both are having in the community.

Atlantic City Electric

Atlantic City Electric is a unit of Exelon (Nasdaq: EXC), a Fortune 250 company and the nation’s largest utility company, serving more than 10 million customers. Atlantic City Electric provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 572,000 customers in southern New Jersey.

 To learn more about Atlantic City Electric, visit The Source, Atlantic City Electric’s online newsroom. Find additional information by visiting atlanticcityelectric.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/AtlanticCityElectric, and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/AcEleCconnect. Atlantic City Electric’s mobile app is available at atlanticcityelectric.com/MobileApp.

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In this latest blog by Kaley Roshitsh, Editorial Director at Cascale, Cascale team members reflect on our 2023 Annual Report. sharing their highlights from the report and reflecting on a year of major milestones and strategic advancements.

The blog discusses Cascale’s commitment to sustainability and collective action at scale, including refining the sustainability strategy, enhancing the Higg Index, reaching a 300-member milestone, and advancing decarbonization efforts. Read the full blog here.

This article is authored by Deidra Parrish Williams, Global Corporate Citizenship Leader, Trane Technologies.

At Trane Technologies, our vision of a sustainable future also includes having an uplifting and positive impact on people and society.

We’re committed to developing the next generation of leaders who can transform our way of life and our world. And as a global climate innovator, our enterprise can leverage its particular strengths and resources to support that development.

The goal is to use all of those natural assets – our intelligence, our products, our resources, our dollars, and our time, in ways that create opportunity for people aligned with our industry. Especially, for those who are underrepresented.

Partnering for opportunity

To reach those corners of our community, Trane Technologies works collaboratively with nonprofit partners in the field. These vetted organizations are doing the work, creating educational resources and opportunities and career path opportunities aligned with our mission.

A new partner in that regard is the ROC, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based nonprofit that works with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Central Piedmont Community College, and area companies to offer college-level industry trade classes, job-readiness training and hands-on internships to 200 high school students across six schools.

Trane Technologies recently invested in the ROC with training equipment and HVAC technician training, and internship placement opportunities are planned for later this year.

Hands-on training with hands-on support

“We take those internships very seriously,” says ROC executive director Darren Ash. “We put our students in the field and on a job site. We help them feel useful. We pair them with a mentor. And what we’re seeing is that if companies commit to a person at that age, there’s a 70% probability that the student will stick with that company.”

Part of their work is recognizing and removing the barriers that make it more challenging for young workers to stay committed. Last year, the ROC spent nearly $40,000 on rideshare rentals for the 65 students placed in summer internships. “It’s a lot of demand on a young person to perform,” Darren explains. “Some of them have to be at their job site at 5:00 in the morning.” As mentors and partners, he adds, “You have to honor that effort.”

Similarly, the ROC looks for partnerships with companies that are committed. “We’re very strategic,” says Darren. “We are looking for partners that are taking workforce development very seriously in this industry. We have decided that we want to go a mile deep and an inch wide.”

While Trane Technologies has partnered with other organizations like the Urban League for HVAC training and last year launched its own HVAC Technician Apprenticeship Program, the ROC is different because the participants are younger.

There’s so much to gain by having these conversations with people earlier. We’re talking about people who often live in the margins, who might lack access to information and to resources. That can delay their ability to build a self-sustaining, gratifying life because they don’t necessarily know where the resources are. We want to help create better opportunities for people earlier on.

Giving back is looking forward

The students working within the ROC program benefit from the early exposure. All attend Title I high schools and come from communities that are historically marginalized and underrepresented within the industry. But Trane Technologies’ investment is neither transactional nor entirely altruistic.

When we think about giving back, it’s not that we’re giving to something that’s separate from us. We are the community. As a company, we’re a resident of the community everywhere we live and employ people.

Investing in workforce development is an investment in the enterprise, too. By helping to fill educational gaps and creating opportunities for those who may not have had exposure to the industry, it’s helping to shore up our communities, and at the same time, it’s helping to make sure that we are fortifying our own future as an employer.

To learn more about our corporate citizenship and community engagement work, please visit our Sustainable Futures page.