VF Corporation announces design and education apprenticeship program

VF Corporation, a parent company to Timberland, Vans, The North Face, and more, has announced a year-long design and education apprenticeship program which aims to cultivate and advance BIPOC talent within the footwear industry.

The program is intended to provide students with unique professional design experience and gain access to the footwear industry while empowering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students to learn, create, and build a career.

The partnership is in association with the Pensole Academy in Portland, Oregon, and is called DiverCity x Design.

The immersive curriculum includes footwear design principles, product creation processes, hands-on experience, professional development training, and brand engagement.

The top five performing students will be granted career mentorships with cultural experiences at each of the brand’s headquarter cities.

Mark Haskins, vice president of global footwear product design at Vans, stated: “This partnership is not only a great opportunity for us to work closely with creative students and provide them insight into what it’s like to work at Vans, but we are especially proud to support Pensole’s important mission of growing the representation of Black creatives in the footwear industry.”

Image: The North Face