Universities Develop Talent
University programs build academic foundations in technology, cybersecurity, business, data analytics, risk management, and related disciplines.
TechStep Foundation partners with colleges, universities, and workforce development programs to provide supervised, real-world technology projects that strengthen community organizations while preparing career-ready talent.
We don't replace the classroom. We extend it.
Universities excel at developing knowledge, critical thinking, and technical capability. Yet today's employers increasingly expect graduates to arrive with practical experience, professional judgment, and the ability to apply their skills in real-world environments. TechStep Foundation helps bridge that gap. We partner with colleges, universities, and workforce development programs to transform community technology challenges into structured, supervised learning opportunities that strengthen workforce readiness while creating measurable community impact.
Universities excel at education. TechStep provides the experience infrastructure needed to turn learning into documented, real-world practice — sourcing projects, supervising them, documenting outcomes, recruiting community partners, managing risk, and maintaining mentorship, so faculty don't have to build that infrastructure themselves.
A three-sided partnership: Universities educate. TechStep provides supervised experience. Community organizations provide meaningful impact opportunities.
Educational institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate workforce outcomes. Students need more than academic achievement alone — they need opportunities to apply what they learn, collaborate on projects, engage with stakeholders, and develop experience that employers recognize and value. At the same time, community organizations face growing cybersecurity, data governance, privacy, and AI-related challenges without access to sufficient technical resources. TechStep was built to address both needs through one scalable model.
Hiring of new graduates at the 15 largest tech companies has fallen by more than 50% since 2019, and 77% of recent graduates say employers expect more experience than an entry-level candidate should reasonably have. Sources: SignalFire, State of Tech Talent Report 2025 (via Fortune, Aug 2025); Cengage Group, 2026 Employability Report (Sept 2026).
University programs build academic foundations in technology, cybersecurity, business, data analytics, risk management, and related disciplines.
Through the TechStep Clinic, the Stepping Stone workforce platform, and our mentor network, we provide the operational infrastructure needed to transform learning into experience. We manage project identification, community partnerships, participant engagement, mentor oversight, quality assurance, and portfolio documentation.
Each partner institution receives complimentary access for one designated faculty member to review student engagement and outcomes. Additional institutional access is available through a licensing model that supports the ongoing operation and maintenance of the platform.
Participants contribute to projects that help organizations improve cybersecurity, risk management, data governance, compliance, and AI readiness.
Provide students with meaningful project-based experiences without building new operational infrastructure.
Help participants develop documented experience that complements academic learning.
Create measurable impact by supporting nonprofit and community organizations.
Connect participants with practitioners, mentors, and real organizational challenges.
Expand opportunities for career-ready learning across technology, cybersecurity, risk, data governance, and AI disciplines.
Many organizations offer internships. Many organizations offer mentoring. TechStep provides a complete workforce-development ecosystem — combining supervised project work, industry practitioner oversight, community engagement, risk and cybersecurity initiatives, AI governance and readiness programs, and experience documentation.
We do not replace existing academic programs. We extend them.
Stronger workforce readiness initiatives across career services, academic departments, and workforce development programs; expanded experiential learning capacity; and improved career development pathways, without building your own project pipeline, partner network, or quality assurance framework.
Access to technology and risk management support, better cybersecurity and data governance practices, increased AI readiness and awareness.
Documented project experience, professional mentorship, portfolio development, and exposure to real cybersecurity, risk, data, and AI governance challenges.
TechStep Foundation serves as an extension of educational institutions by connecting learning, experience, and community impact. Together, we can strengthen workforce pathways, support community organizations, and prepare the next generation of technology professionals.
"Universities provide education. TechStep provides the experience infrastructure that connects learning to real-world impact."
TechStep partners with universities and academic programs to give students a structured, supervised pathway into cybersecurity practice. Faculty refer candidates through our referral process — no prior cybersecurity experience required. TechStep handles matching, supervision, and deliverable review from there.
For faculty & advisors
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