The Thurgood Marshall College Fund has announced dates for its annual Leadership Institute. Each October, more than 100 Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies take part in TMCF’s four-day national program that aims to provide employers access to overlooked diverse talent and help students make connections that lead to good jobs. Some 400 students attended in 2018.

Speaking to USBE magazine earlier this year, Harry L. Williams, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (pictured center, Photo courtesy of the TMCF), said he’s proud that the fund has given out more than $300 million in scholarships. He cited Walmart, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Boeing as some of the companies that TMCF works with on an ongoing basis.

Williams also stressed the importance of the fund’s other efforts, such as its internship and immersion programs. They help prepare students in ways that aren’t covered in classrooms and books.

The fund has talent acquisition teams that visit colleges to identify promising students chosen to attend the institute. Students are coached over a year so that they are prepared to impress and guaranteed to leave the four-day event with multiple job offers or internships.

“It’s all about getting them ready to be successful,” Williams told USBE this spring. “A lot of kids are the first in their family to go to college, first in their family to go into a corporation. If you don’t understand the ‘nonverbal,’ you could be locked out. We educate them on the do’s and Don’ts,” he said.

From Wednesday, October 16, through Sunday, October 20, students from the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) will take part in the jam-packed Leadership Institute program designed to help them compete in today’s competitive global workforce.