11.04.2004 ET

(CSRwire) HARTFORD, Conn. - The National Society of Hispanic MBA's (NSHMBA) has presented United Technologies Corp. with the Brillante Award, the society's highest honor given to corporations.

UTC received the award at NSHMBA's annual conference held recently in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was recognized for establishing programs, partnerships and initiatives that have created a diverse and well-educated work force.

NSHMBA's vision is "to be the premier Hispanic MBA professional business network for economic and philanthropic advancement." It recognizes individuals and organizations that help further that mission.

UTC has been a partner with NSHMBA for eight years and has participated on NSHMBA's Corporate Advisory Board for nine years. UTC management also supported development of the UTC Hispanic Leadership Forum, which provides a support system to help the recruitment and retention of talented Hispanic professionals.

The Brillante Award also recognizes UTC for its commitment to multicultural communities including its partnerships with the National Black MBA Association, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the INROADS workplace mentoring program.

NSHMBA also praised UTC's Employee Scholar Program, which pays the full cost of employees' college tuition and fees in advance, provides paid time off to study, and rewards graduates with company stock. UTC's investment since launching the program in 1996 has exceeded $446 million, and more than 15,000 employees have earned degrees.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the building systems and aerospace industries. Fortune Magazine has ranked UTC as a "Most Admired" company every year since 2001 based on criteria including social responsibility, innovation and financial performance.

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