Creating Talent: Developing Skills Through Higher Education

Creating Talent: Developing Skills Through Higher Education

Challenge

The Research & Development Lab of a large ICT multinational needed (i) new sources of global engineering and technical talent, (ii) funding to support its innovation, and (iii) visibility and leverage to enhance reputation and support market growth.

Client Contribution to SDGs

 

Approach
  • After a DFI-customized market deep-dive in six targeted Latin American countries, DFI and the Client revised the Client’s strategic plan, marketing materials, organizational structure, and messaging, bringing Client into alignment with the priorities of the local universities, national governments and funding institutions.
  • DFI then coordinated engagements between the Client and key donors and relevant players in government, academia and the private sector.  Applying its specialized knowledge and extensive network, DFI authored partnership and funding proposals and advocated on the Client’s behalf with funders and local stakeholders through project approval and launch.
Outcomes
  • Over 18 months, the Client and DFI launched and scaled-up two successful initiatives in the Americas to support Engineering Education, Accreditation, and Entrepreneurship, achieving multiple client objectives
  • DFI’s market deep-dives provided detailed actionable outcomes and best practices to position our Client with the right message, solution, and execution strategy.  Examples include:
    • Relationships with 25 of Latin America’s top engineering universities representing over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students in key disciplines
    • Enhanced and expanded reputation and mindshare with Ministers of Science and Technology and Higher Education in Brazil, Argentina, and other key countries in Latin America
    • Leveraged $3 M in grant funds from international and national partners, representing 10X Client investment
    • Identified more than $20 M in national R&D funds for client pursuit
    • Developed know-how and scalable model eventually replicated with equal success in Africa
Partners
  • Inter-American Development Bank, Instituto Technologico de Santo Domingo and other universities in Central America & Caribbean, Engineers Canada, Ministries of Education in Dominican Republic, Panama and Jamaica, and other international / local industry

“Today, global participation depends on the strength of our innovative abilities. HP is proud to be among the partners working with the IDB on the critical topic of developing engineers and technical talent to meet the competitiveness needs of the Americas. HP is pleased to see the collective will expressed by the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Panama to pursue regional accreditation of engineers, since this will bring international recognition and opportunity to the region over time.

Wayne Johnson, Vice President of University Relations at Hewlett-Packard