disguise addresses diversity in technology
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disguise has forged partnerships with two initiatives - Kwanda, a non-profit organisation supporting enterprise and creativity within the black community, and Workfinder, which matches students with opportunities in start-ups and scaleups.
“It was important for disguise to collaborate with Kwanda to address racial diversity within the tech industry,” says the company. “By partnering with Workfinder, disguise is directly supporting their Women in Tech scheme that aims to deliver increased gender equality in the STEM sector.
“The new internship programme simultaneously gives young people the chance to explore a technology career while addressing inequality in the technology industry. Diversity is something disguise actively seeks to play a part in furthering as it develops high potential talent.”
Interns will spend a year gaining experience in two disguise teams; majoring in one placement, and minoring in the other. For the first three months of 2021, the interns will be in their minor placements and their major placements will happen between March this year and January 2022. The interns will work on a project during the major placement, which they will present as a dissertation at the end of the year.
Participants will gain hands-on experience working within the teams and learn everything they need to know to excel at disguise, says the company. Interns are granted access to disguise’s learning management system, meaning they will be experienced users of the disguise platform and workflows by the end of their placements. In a sign of disguise’s continued commitment to equality for all staff, those who decide to take up the disguise internship also receive the same benefits as a regular disguise employee.
Jermaine Craig, Kwanda founder, comments: “Technology underlines everything in this modern age, and somebody who may find entertainment, stage design and visual experiences interesting might not immediately make that connection. This partnership is important as it offers individuals interested in visceral experiences and tech to connect the two. I hope the interns will gradually appreciate what goes into stages, concerts and the visual experiences they enjoy. I’m sure the interns will love the work they do at disguise and will ultimately grow to become needed industry contributors.”
Sherry Coutu CBE, founder of Workfinder, adds: "With a student community of 60,000, Workfinder is a platform for Britain's best businesses to connect with this network so they can innovate faster and better. To celebrate Ada Lovelace Day in October 2020, we launched a campaign to support the future generation of Women in Tech, by helping more than 100 companies source this rare talent to help drive business growth. disguise is one of our partners, and it’s great to see the first intern starting their year placement and getting the most out of the experience.”
Fernando Kufer, disguise CEO, concludes: “We’re passionate about inclusivity and diversity in the workplace and the technology industries within which we operate. Our new internship programme, in partnership with Kwanda and Workfinder, is another branch of that support. It’s our hope that, through collaborations like these, we can help introduce new and exciting voices to the amazing projects disguise is at the centre of.”
