Computing College Expands Job Options in 'Early Access to Talent' Program

Written by: Michael Giorgio
Published: Monday, December 6, 2021
Early Access to Talent is a new program matching YWCC students with employers

NJIT's Ying Wu College of Computing is matching top tech talent from its student ranks with companies needing to remain ahead of the curve in a competitive marketplace, in a new initiative called Early Access to Talent.

The pre-employment program offers companies the opportunity to cultivate a custom candidate pool according to their specific recruiting objectives among students pursuing an M.S. degree in any area of computer and information technology offered through the college.

Corporate stakeholders will sponsor students' tuition, fees and a modest stipend. In exchange, the student commits to working with the company for at least 18 months after graduation. The program will act as a feeder for attracting higher-caliber students into the Ying Wu College of Computing graduate programs and will allow the college to build and strengthen relationships throughout many industries.

Early Access to Talent is based on the National Science Foundation Cybercorps program which funds students to pursue graduate studies in cybersecurity in return for the student committing to a predetermined number of years of paid service as a cybersecurity professional in US federal, state or local government. Ying Wu College of Computing operates such a site as part of its Secure Computing Initiative. Unlike Cybercorps, however, students in the Early Access to Talent program can be enrolled in any subset of the institution’s degree programs, which are business and information systems; computer science; cybersecurity and privacy; data science, information systems; and software engineering.

The agreement allows companies to play a principal role in nurturing future employee talent during earlier stage education with an option to condition the outcome on academic and professional performance. This means that selected students are part of a long-term developmental process which also includes summer internships at the company.

The mutual return on investment all leads to a professional experience for the student with a provision for the company that funding may be returned if the candidate does not meet expectations or fulfill the agreement. The program can be tailored to suit the company mission and objectives, whether it be meeting diversity goals or targeting relevant technical specializations. This low-risk, high-return initiative allows smaller to mid-sized organizations equal access to talent in line with, or ahead of,  the major brand competitors.

“As companies scramble to attract top talent, especially in the Greater New York Metro area that we serve, we are committed to finding creative ways to help both the companies achieve their recruiting goals, and our students launch their careers armed with graduate degrees," said Craig Gotsman, dean of the college. "Building on our experience with our very successful CyberCorps program for the U.S. government, we are confident that the Early Access to Talent program will be no less attractive in the corporate world.”

For students:

  • To qualify for Early Access to Talent, students graduating from any NJIT B.S. program regardless of major must pursue full-time studies of a Ying Wu College of Computing M.S. degree.
  • Students will be admitted to the program in the fall semester of their senior undergrad year, based on the criteria set by the sponsoring company.
  • Once admitted, the student may study two graduate-level courses in their last semester, which will be double counted towards their M.S. degree.
  • Upon completion of the B.S. degree, the student will complete eight graduate-level courses (instead of the usual ten), which can be done in one academic year.
  • Company sponsorship will cover the last semester of the senior year and one extra year of full-time graduate studies. The student performs the internship at the company during the summer following completion of the B.S. degree. 

For Companies:

  • The sponsoring company is requested to provide each participating student with $30,000 toward  tuition, fees and a $10,000 stipend spread over three semesters.
  • The minimal sponsorship is for five students in each annual cohort, for a total annual cost of $200,000 per cohort. These figures may be adjusted according to the company’s needs and means.
  • The company signs a pre-employment agreement with the student and a program management agreement with NJIT. NJIT will provide administrative and logistic support for the program and extracurricular activities organized by the company for the students.

In an era where a changing job market has become the new normal, the time is right for the next generation of high-tech leaders to bridge the gap between challenge and innovation. The Early Access to Talent program at NJIT Ying Wu College of Computing provides a viable solution. For more information about the program, please contact Dina Anello, Ying Wu College of Computing director of external relations, at danello@njit.edu.