JFF & Comcast NBCUniversal to boost Black workers in tech

Non-profit education organisation JFF and Comcast NBCUniversal have joined forces to boost the number of Black workers in tech.

The partnership aims to develop a framework for improving education and career outcomes for Black learners and workers in technology and digital fields. The joint $500,000 initiative will generate insights; and develop strategies to increase access and success for Black learners and workers within fast-growing digital and IT careers.

BLACK WORKERS UNDERREPRESENTED IN TECH

According to JFF, Black workers are underrepresented in technology careers. In the US, people who self-identify as Black make up 12.4% of the population, but just 7.4% of the tech industry workforce; and women of colour overall accounted for just 4%. While Black students made up 6% of the computer science and engineering graduates; they only account for 3% of the total Silicon Valley workforce. That reality poses a risk of growing occupational segregation, as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that growth in IT occupations will continue to outpace the broader economy through 2029.

“Even with similar education and training, Black technology professionals earn less than white peers across nearly all education levels,” stated Michael Collins, Vice President at JFF. “We want to promote Black economic advancement by interrupting the long-standing pattern of Black learners and workers being concentrated in industries associated with low wages and more susceptible to disruption by technology and automation. In an era where digital and IT skills are in demand across a wide range of industries, we hope that this work will lead us to a deeper understanding of not just barriers; but practices that unlock the potential of Black talent.” 

DEVELOPING EQUITABLE STRATEGIES

In an effort to uncover opportunities that can strengthen pathways to economic advancement for Black learners and workers in the digital economy, a team of experts in research, public policy, and systems change at JFF will evaluate a wide range of hiring, training, talent development; and other practices throughout the next several months. They will work to identify promising evidence of strategies that create the conditions for increased economic equity. This research will be shaped by insights from a cross-sector and multi-industry advisory council of Black leaders; who will further inform and create a framework for economic mobility for Black Americans. 

Council members include Aimée Eubanks Davis, CEO and Founder of Braven; Allison Scott, CEO, Kapor Center; Angela Jackson, Managing Partner of New Profit; Duwain Pinder, Associate Partner of McKinsey; Dwana Franklin-Davis, CEO of Reboot Representation; Greg Gunn, Co-founder of Lingo Ventures; John Simpkins, President and CEO, MDC; Kenyatta Lovett, Managing Director of Higher Education at Educate Texas; Melissa Bradley, Managing Partner, 1863 Ventures and Co-founder of Ureeka; Michael Ellison, CEO and Founder of CodePath.org; and Monique Umphrey, President of Houston Community College Northeast. 

DRIVING MEANINGFUL PROGRESS

“To support this work, we sought out a strategic partner who drives meaningful progress by working across sectors. JFF knows how to navigate the complex intersection of learning and employment, and they also have experience exploring the human dimensions of systemic challenges,” stated Dalila Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation. “Michael Collins brings a systems-level understanding of the ways in which education and training can increase access and success in high-wage, high-demand industries.” 

Comcast NBCUniversal’s partnership with JFF is an extension of the company’s ongoing commitment to digital equity; including its $1 billion pledge over the next 10 years to further close the digital divide across the country. The focus on helping to ensure those facing the greatest barriers have the skills, tools and resources necessary to benefit from the expanding digital economy.

The tech industry still has a long way to go to fix inequality and discrimination to attract more diversity, according to a recent report. Click here to read more.