Program introduced minority students to the world of Cybersecurity, which has traditionally been lacking in minority representation.
Infoblox, the leader in cloud-first networking and security services and the TELACU Education Foundation have announced the successful completion of the Infoblox Diverse Student Certification pilot program. The pilot program was done in coordination with the University of La Verne, a Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI), and included two courses to introduce students to the world of cybersecurity with hands-on product training led by Infoblox specialists. Fourteen students successfully completed the program.
“As the global leader in DDI and Secure-Cloud Networking, Infoblox is committed to creating more inclusive career pathways into our sector for students from diverse communities,” says Zafar Brooks, Global Leader and Senior Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Infoblox. “With the pilot program, we introduced students to our growing sector and provided the academic community tools for career readiness in cyber-tech. As a result of the innovative public-private partnership by Infoblox, TELACU, and the University of La Verne, we created a force multiplier effect on meeting the needs of students and delivering a well-prepared workforce of tomorrow.”
“While these students have successfully completed this pilot program, we hope this was just the beginning of a long and powerful relationship between the students and the institutions that came together to offer this amazing opportunity,” said Dr. David C. Lizárraga, TELACU Education Foundation Chairman and Founder. “We are committed to furthering this partnership, and to building a strong, diverse candidate pool for the cybersecurity and tech industry.”
The Infoblox Diverse Student Certification Program integrated the company’s training, certification and mentoring into the University of La Verne’s computer science program. The students participating in the inaugural class attended Infoblox courses, previously only available to working professionals. Upon completion of the program, the students were eligible to earn two certifications:
- DDI Professional, the world’s most popular vendor agnostic DDI certification
- DDI Configuration & Administration, Infoblox’s most attended product training certification
These classes, certifications, and ongoing mentoring from Infoblox’s Unid@s Blox Hispanic employee resource group (ERG) were aimed to prepare the students with foundational skills to embark on careers in IT networking and a notable advantage when seeking employment.
“Through the Infoblox Diverse Student Certification Program, our students gained career ready knowledge from industry professionals and developed invaluable insight that they will carry into their lifelong professions,” said Dr. Devorah Lieberman, President of the University of La Verne. “We are deeply grateful to Infoblox and the TELACU Education Foundation for making this possible, and we anticipate that it is the beginning of additional and similar partnerships.”
Visit this website to learn more about Infoblox’s broader DEI efforts.