The Blacks in Technology Foundation, a community dedicated to increasing the representation and participation of Black people in the technology industry, has partnered with Apprenti to increase Black representation across the tech industry.
Apprenti delivers nationwide registered tech apprenticeship programs to place non-traditional hires into in-demand tech careers.
“Both job seekers and companies need to expand their thinking when it comes to job placement and hiring. We’re already seeing a shift in IT job requirements away from four-year and advanced college degrees in mathematics and computer science towards practitioner level skills,” said Dennis Schultz, Executive Director of the Blacks in Technology Foundation. “The only real question is, can the candidate do the work required? We see Apprenti as a practical solution to the challenge of filling key IT roles.”
The Blacks In Technology Foundation and Apprenti will endeavor to expose more of the Black community to the tech sector, expand access to tech training opportunities and, ultimately, help Black people secure rewarding careers in technology.
Currently, Black people only account for 3% of employees in the top 75 Silicon Valley tech companies.
“While the lack of representation in the tech workforce is well documented, there’s still plenty of work to do when it comes to building systems that offer equal opportunity,” said Jennifer Carlson, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Apprenti. “Blacks in Technology Foundation is making real progress when it comes to diversifying tech talent, and we’re proud to offer a proven program that will strengthen these efforts.”
Membership in Blacks In Technology is free. If you’d like to sign up, you can find out more information here.
