Meet Our Newest ETE Partner: Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO)
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The overlap between the technological sector and financial institutions is larger than most think, yet only 5% of employees at leading tech firms come from underserved populations.1 Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), our newest partner for BMO’s Equity Through Education, understands the trajectory of these parallel industries and the importance of the backgrounds at their core.
On September 25th, BMO will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Equity Through Education. Over the years, the program has helped open doors for almost 5,500 students. BMO will be donating all institutional equity, BMO InvestorLine equity, and Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) trading commissions from one day of trading to provide scholarships, bursaries, and leadership development opportunities to post-secondary students.
Closing the Career Opportunity Gap
For over 60 years, SEO has stayed true to its mission to create a more equitable society by closing the educational and career opportunity gaps for ambitious young people from underserved, low-income, and historically excluded communities. Their undertaking highly aligns with BMO’s purpose-driven commitment to progress towards an inclusive society.
One of SEO’s flagship programs, the SEO Tech Developer Program, is a virtual free immersion program for first- and second-year Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American computer science and software engineering college students aiming to enhance their technical skills and career-readiness through a paid six-week summer residency.
SEO’s candidates go through a selection process based on several criteria, including:
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Pursuing education in Computer Science or Computer Engineering
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Strong academic achievement
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Contributions to their community
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Demonstratable interest in the technology industry
Although financial support is greatly appreciated, the principal of the SEO Tech Developer Program is to address the chronic exposure and preparation gaps faced by students seeking entry into the tech industry. BMO will contribute a portion of Trading Day proceeds as stipends for incoming students enrolled in the SEO Tech Developer Program.
By partnering with SEO, we are supporting underrepresented students seeking to enter the tech industry and helping stage their career trajectories into the future.
-- Shabari Nayak, MD & Head, Energy Transition and Sustainable Services, BMO Capital Markets --
Our Commitment
BMO has a large-scale corporate commitment to zero barriers to inclusion, and has laid out specific diversity and representation goals to achieve by 2025. And while diversity is important, inclusion and representation start well before hiring – they must begin with eliminating the barriers many young and marginalized people face even when pursuing higher education.
1 SEO Tech Developer SEO Tech Developer | SEO Tech Developer (seo-usa.org)