GE Invests $5 Million in the Next Generation of Greenville Engineers

GE has announced a five-year, $5 million investment in Greenville, South Carolina, to launch Next Engineers, a global college-readiness program designed to increase the diversity of young people in engineering.

GE has selected Greenville as one of four inaugural locations, aiming to inspire more than 3,500 local students ages 13 to 18, provide first-hand experiences of engineering, and award financial support to pursue further education in engineering.

In April 2021, GE announced the $100 million program with the goal of reaching more than 85,000 students in approximately 25 cities globally over the next decade. GE will work directly with Clemson University to implement Next Engineers locally.

“Bringing diverse young voices to engineering is imperative as these students will power and lead the change our world needs,” said John Intile, Vice President, GE Gas Power Engineering. “GE’s ongoing and accelerated partnership with Clemson University, including our recent announcement of the GE John Lammas Annual Scholarship supporting underrepresented students, is key to our success. This program will introduce students to the world of engineering at a young age, conveying the career opportunities that come with degrees in engineering. Most important, it will empower them to reach their own potential and foster the skills needed to address complex, real-world issues.”

“We are honored to collaborate with GE to lead Next Engineers for the Greenville and Upstate area,” said Serita Acker, executive director of PEER & WISE in Clemson University’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. “Next Engineers is well positioned to broaden and diversify the pipeline that runs from the K-12 system and higher education to the workforce. GE continues to be one of our most important corporate partners, and I thank them for working to create new pathways to STEM careers.”

Next Engineers offers three inspiring programs to engage students on their paths to engineering studies. Starting today, students can begin applying for the third program – Engineering Academy – at www.nextengineers.org:

  • Engineering Discovery for students ages 13-14 (eighth grade) and their guardians with the goal of increasing awareness through multiple, short, one-hour exploratory experiences and hand-on activities connecting students to real engineers.  Sessions are delivered by volunteers in the classroom or in the community to inspire youth early and highlight the broad array of engineering careers;
  • Engineering Camp for students ages 14-15 (rising ninth grade) with the goal of developing engineering identities through a week-long immersive camp experience over school break where students interact with experienced engineering faculty and staff, complete design challenges solving real-world problems and interact directly with professional engineers and business leaders;
  • Engineering Academy for students ages 15-18 (grades nine to 12) with the goal of guiding and encouraging students to pursue engineering degrees. Engineering Academy is a three-year college readiness program for upper secondary students that helps them learn to think and act like engineers and prepare them to select and succeed at an engineering major at the university level. The program provides 80 hours per year of out-of-school programming. The program will include longer challenges and a capstone project, career coaching to expose students to different engineering pathways, and college-readiness workshops. Students accepted to higher education engineering programs will also receive a scholarship from the GE Foundation.

Students, teachers and the community can obtain updates and more information at www.nextengineers.org.

Prepared by Clemson University.