Newly established partnership will provide a $375,000 grant to support student scholarships, in addition to engineering internships across The Toro Company and its businesses
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Continuing a long-standing commitment to furthering education and advancing diversity in our industries, The Toro Company is joining with the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) and its Dual Degree Engineering Program (DDEP) to expand opportunities for Black students to pursue careers in engineering.
Over the next five years, The Toro Company has committed $375,000 to fund scholarships for engineering students from the member institutions. The grant includes financial assistance for tuition and indirect costs associated with student scholarships. In addition to scholarships, The Toro Company will provide paid internship opportunities for DDEP students to gain deeper experiences across its many businesses.
“As we seek to create new partnerships and opportunities to help shape the future of our workforce, we are very excited to partner with the AUCC and support students pursuing degrees in the engineering field,” said Dr. Carliss Miller, Senior Manager, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Toro Company. “Students who are selected for the program will have many opportunities, such as learning from leadership and subject matter experts in the industry to support their academic and professional development.”
“We are very excited that The Toro Company has chosen to invest in the AUCC’s Dual Degree Engineering Program. Their commitment to diversifying their workforce aligns with our mission to diversify the engineering profession to help supply companies like Toro with high-quality engineers,” said Dr. Said Sewell, Director of Academic, Research, and Student Success of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc. “For over 50 years, we, in partnership with our engineering schools, have been producing Black engineers who go on to lead lives of leadership and service. Our success in many ways is the result of industry partners like Toro choosing to support our students academically and professionally through scholarships and paid internships. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with The Toro Company.”
This investment and partnership comes as the demand for jobs in the area of STEM are projected to rise due to an increasing number of people who are transferring to other occupations or exiting the workforce. It also aligns with The Toro Company’s strategic commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and goal to increase the number of women and racial and ethnic minorities in leadership positions by at least 20% by fiscal 2025 as compared to fiscal 2021.
About The Toro Company
The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment including turf and landscape maintenance, snow and ice management, underground utility construction, rental and specialty construction, and irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. With net sales of $4.5 billion in fiscal 2022, The Toro Company’s global presence extends to more than 125 countries through a family of brands that includes Toro, Ditch Witch, Exmark, Spartan Mowers, BOSS Snowplow, Ventrac, American Augers, Trencor, Pope, Subsite Electronics, HammerHead, Radius HDD, Perrot, Hayter, Unique Lighting Systems, Irritrol, and Lawn-Boy. Through constant innovation and caring relationships built on trust and integrity, The Toro Company and its family of brands have built a legacy of excellence by helping customers work on golf courses, sports fields, construction sites, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties and agricultural operations. For more information, visit www.thetorocompany.com.
About The Atlanta University Center Consortium
The Atlanta University Center Consortium, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Georgia, formed in 1929 to operate on behalf of its member institutions–Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College—is the world’s oldest and largest association of historically Black colleges and universities. The Consortium is a vibrant intellectual community with a long tradition of scholarship, service, and community engagement.
Information Provided By:
Branden Happel
The Toro Company
952-887-8930
branden.happel@toro.com
