Congressional Black Caucus Announces Efforts To Increase Diversity in Tech Sector
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., announced the launch of the CBC Tech 2020 initiative Tuesday, which aims to increase the number of African-Americans in the tech sector at all levels, a news release said. “According to the Level…
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Playing Field Institute, there will be an estimated 1.4 million new tech jobs by 2020, and 70 percent of those jobs will remain unfilled at the rate U.S. universities are producing qualified graduates for these roles,” Butterfield said. The CBC asked tech companies to adopt a Tech 2020 diversity and African-American inclusion plan that includes: making black inclusion a priority for board of directors and executive leadership; setting clear, public goals to measurably increase the number of African-Americans at all levels within the companies, with external contractors, and with affiliated venture capital investment; provide significant financial and human capital resources to achieve these goals, share best practices; and increase the use of African-American-owned vendors and require majority-owned vendors to meet specific diversity goals, said the CBC. Tech-focused nonprofits were asked to adopt an inclusion plan to: evaluate specific programs seeking to increase diversity; identify challenges that are unique to the African-American community that may stifle their inclusion in the tech sector; and to collaborate with nonprofits and the private sector to increase black diversity in the tech industry, it said. Educational institutions must join these efforts, Butterfield said, as well as the government. “Congress in particular is integral to this effort, so we call on our colleagues to join us in addressing this critical issue, particularly as it relates to building and strengthening the STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] pipeline, and fighting against cuts to STEM education in the No Child Left Behind Act,” Butterfield said. “The tech sector is committed to building a more inclusive 21st century economy, and that includes making our own workforce more inclusive," said Information Technology Industry Council CEO Dean Garfield in a news release Tuesday. The council is reviewing CBC's proposals and will work with the group to increase the presence of African-Americans in all levels of the tech sector, he said.