Our five incredibly talented design apprentices just completed their year-long rotation with four VF brands, equipping them with invaluable experience as they aim to make their marks in the footwear industry. As part of our CARE commitments, these top five standouts were selected out of 300 applicants through DiverCity x DESIGN, a program created in partnership with the PENSOLE Academy to advance Black and Brown talent in the footwear industry. They began their rotation at Timberland^® in New Hampshire, went onto Vans^® in Costa Mesa and recently finished with The North Face^® and Altra^® in Denver. We sat down with the group to hear how this apprenticeship has transformed them personally and professionally.

Dream job? Landed.

Since completion of the apprenticeship, we’re proud to announce that several apprentices earned positions with Vans and Timberland and will continue their journey with the VF family. Here’s what’s next for the team:

• Ashley Narvaez, Associate Footwear Designer, Special Make Up, Vans^®
• Shawn Williams, Associate Footwear Designer, Lifestyle, Vans^®
• Gaganjit Singh, Associate Footwear Designer, Men’s, Timberland^®
• Jesus Mendez, Associate Footwear Designer, Women’s, Timberland^®
• Gabriel Pimentel is continuing to work towards his Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Product Design at San Jose State University

Congratulations to our PENSOLE apprentices!