Mark Warner founded the Virginia High-Tech Partnership in response to an increasingly digital-based economy. Warner saw that some of the fastest growing businesses were in the high-tech sector and identified an increasing need for highly skilled workers to fill openings in the technology field.
The Virginia High-Tech Partnership linked Virginia’s five historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with this quickly growing sector and connected with students like Maurice to connect them to opportunities to grow their skills in the technology field. The Partnership recruited students from Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Saint Paul’s College, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University to these high-tech job and internship opportunities. Mark Warner built this partnership to foster a strong link between Virginia’s HBCUs and the future leaders they educate and high-tech businesses.
The Partnership created opportunities for these students to find employment opportunities within the high-tech sector and to help technology companies find highly-skilled workers.