State Farm donates $30 million to fuel workforce development program

State Farm is investing $30 million in Arizona State University in an effort to help people develop new skills in the rapidly changing workplace.

Michael Tipsord, president and CEO of State Farm, announced the investment in early February 2020 for a new education and career development program called Pathways for the Future. The program takes a personalized approach to higher education with a focus on innovation and technology skills.

The insurance giant has been a good friend to ASU for the past several years, university President Michael Crow told a group of business and education leaders at the inaugural virtual Future of Workforce Summit hosted by ASU and State Farm on Feb. 4, at which the investment was announced. The $30 million investment is taking that partnership to the next level.

ASU’s online program will focus on students from high schools, community colleges and universities, as well as career professionals who want to compete for new and evolving jobs.

In addition to online academic tracks and certificate programs, plans call for offering scholarships, as well as customized career counseling and coaching, Tipsord said.

This effort comes at a time when advancements in technology and innovation — such as artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnology — are changing the way we live and work, Crow said.

State Farm, which has hired thousands for its regional headquarters in Tempe, is the anchor tenant within the 2 million-square-foot Marina Heights commercial development built on land owned by the Arizona Board of Regents near Tempe Town Lake.

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