Google has given $775,000 in grants to Code2040, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve diversity in technology, who will use the grants over the next two years to create free training programs for 5,000 Latino and black college engineering students.

One of Google's grants will be used by the group to launch a program that teaches Latino and black students how to successfully apply and interview for technical internships and careers, Wall Street Journal reports.

"One of the reasons that there is this opportunity gap for black and Latino engineers is that they have a smaller relevant network and fewer resources and insight around what's required to get jobs in tech," Laura Weidman Powers, Code2040 co-founder and CEO, said. "The progress around transparency and willingness to talk about this issue of diversity in tech has been huge over the last year. What I'm hoping will be the next step is a willingness to be honest about what's working and what isn't."

Google's staff is 70 percent male and 60 percent white, according to the company. Like most other tech companies, it is lacking diversity in gender and race. Donating grants to an organization like Code2040 demonstrates Google's aspiration to make the talent pipeline in the technology sector more diverse.

Another grant from Google gives Code2040 the ability to provide a year-long stipend and workspace to establish a tech startup for one Latino or black entrepreneur in Chicago, Illinois; Durham, North Carolina; and Austin, Texas. But there's a catch: The entrepreneur must somehow connect the cities' tech industries with its minority populations.

"The idea is that you inspire youth who might not be thinking about this as a career path," John Lyman, head of partnerships at Google for Entrepreneurs, explained.

Google is not the only company to encourage tech industry diversity. Intel has pledged $300 million over the next five years.

Code2040 is named after the year when minorities are expected to become the majority in the U.S. The group already has a fellows program thanks to generous grants from the Knight Foundation, Marc Andreessen and Airbnb.

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