Closing the tech industry’s race gap through education

The tech industry’s race gap is reflected in companies’ leadership teams, hiring practices, and workforce demographics. Closing this gap is crucial for companies looking to achieve better workforce diversity, increase their productivity, and economically empower historically underprivileged communities across the country.

In March I had the pleasure of participating in MIT Sloan’s “Inclusive Education: Building a Strong & Diverse Workforce in America” conversation on ways to address closing the race gap in America’s growing tech industry in both the public and private sectors. The discussion was in depth, informative, and enlightening even to those with an understanding of the current and future tech market. I wanted to highlight and expand upon some of the main points from March’s conversation.

Role models matter

Many young students assume a career in tech is out of their reach because they do not have a relatable influence to inspire them. Michael and Donna Dawson from Innovators for Purpose ascribed part of this to a lack of “dinner table capital” – conversations about tech are not common for low income households, something that could be remedied by exposing young students to STEM in creative ways at an early age. Science fairs, robotics classes, and better integration with STEM and other non-STEM subjects are examples of ways to initiate younger generations into the prospects of a technical education.

At BFIT, our experienced faculty members serve as role models by showing students the pathways to success through not only their own experience and lesson plans but also by connecting them to corporate partnerships that open the door for students to see themselves in a technical career.

Make college more accessible

The lack of Black and Latinx students attending college is not due to lack of interest. Aspiring college-goers quickly become aware of the financial barriers preventing them from pursuing a degree. This, combine with the fact that many of these students are already working jobs to support themselves or their family, make the financial burden of student loans unbearable. State and federal agencies must address the reality that the cost of higher education has ballooned to nearly unaffordable levels for many low income and first-generation students. Expansion of federal PELL Grants, or local MassGrants, as well as deadline extensions for financial assistance programs that closer align to students planning for college will make these resources more available to the students that need them.

 Make skillset, not degrees, the hiring priority

Non-degree holders continue to be overlooked for technical careers, many of which don’t require a college degree to be successful in the role. These prerequisites are a major barrier for skilled workers to access entry- and mid-level technical careers. By basing hiring practices on skillsets rather than degrees, companies can implement new recruiting techniques to reach a broader and more diverse hiring pool. Skillset-based programs, such as Boston’s Resilient Coders or the Chica Project, help students learn practical and applicable skills that should in turn qualify them for future technical careers.

Take risks that broaden your horizons

Everyone’s personal and professional network is limited. Colleges as well as tech companies have the resources to broaden their horizons and look for talent or applicants in different pools than they have grown accustomed to. Expanding your network requires a degree of risk that can disincentivize recruiters from pursuing new avenues of talent, but this risk is worth the reward. At BFIT, our Student Success Team embraces these possibilities by working closely with students to offer workshops, tutoring, and other types of academic support to ensure students are successful. Many colleges would benefit from increasing their student support offices to ensure their newly recruited talent is properly acclimated and prepared for the educational journey ahead.