Intel drops Science Talent Search

[berkeman]

This is bad news, but hopefully some other good corporate sponsor will pick up the ball... I've been to a couple of these STEM fairs in the past (as an observer), and the breadth and quality of many of the projects is truly amazing...

http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/09/tec....html?iid=ob_homepage_tech_pool&iid=obnetwork
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The chipmaker said it will drop the sponsorship in April 2017, 20 years after it began. It's time for the company to move on, said Intel spokesperson Gail Dundas.

"That's a fairly long corporate sponsorship," she said. "We've greatly increased the prize money. It's been a great opportunity for Intel and a great partnership, and now someone else can get that opportunity."

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

"Time for the company to move on" is not a reason. Wonder what the real one is.

 

[Bystander]

"Time for the company to move on" is not a reason. Wonder what the real one is.

What a nasty, suspicious mind --- like mine --- corporate legal dept. started adding up EEO costs.

 

[berkeman]

What a nasty, suspicious mind --- like mine --- corporate legal dept. started adding up EEO costs.

Interesting. What do Equal Employment Opportunity rules have to do with Intel's sponsorship of the competition? I'm not making the connection...

 

[SteamKing]

"Time for the company to move on" is not a reason. Wonder what the real one is.

This article in Slate indicates that Intel wants to spend millions of dollars for "improving racial and gender diversity in its workforce."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_t...r_science_talent_search_starting_in_2018.html

Seems like Intel is now focused more on satisfying the HR Gremlins rather than recruiting the best talent.

 

[berkeman]

Ah, that makes more sense now. Thanks @SteamKing

 

[Pythagorean]

This article in Slate indicates that Intel wants to spend millions of dollars for "improving racial and gender diversity in its workforce."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_t...r_science_talent_search_starting_in_2018.html

Seems like Intel is now focused more on satisfying the HR Gremlins rather than recruiting the best talent.

The purpose is generally to reduce biases that favor like hires (that may themselves lead to talent loss). Their heart is in the right place, but a better approach would be blind hiring (as opposed to enforcing a particular racial/gender ratio).

 

[Astronuc]

spend millions of dollars for "improving racial and gender diversity in its workforce."

That's admirable, but why not in conjunction with the Intel Science Talent Search?

 

[SteamKing]

That's admirable, but why not in conjunction with the Intel Science Talent Search?

There's only so many dollars to go around. Intel is reportedly committed to spending $300 million on its workforce diversity program.

Intel has sponsored the Talent Search since about 1998 and they feel, for better or worse, that it's time for another corporate sponsor to pick up the torch, so to speak.

With the new spin-off at HP coming, 30,000 people will soon be hitting the streets. The PC market has matured and stabilized, but Intel has not made much headway in creating products for new markets, like mobile devices. Things might appear to be going well right now for Intel, but perhaps the company is making some strategic decisions for the future, and the Talent Search sponsorship gets the chop now.