Women of color are vastly underrepresented in tech jobs and Command Shift, a coalition of major … [+]
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Women in the workforce took a big job loss hit with the pandemic, and we know that the numbers don’t look good. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on gains women have made in pay parity. But could the solution to the exodus of women from the US workforce be a new opportunity for workers – and particularly working moms – to upskill and pivot to a better career trajectory? A new coalition called Command Shift aims to try and do just that.
Command Shift launched yesterday and is being led by industry leaders like Citi Foundation, Amazon Web Services, Comcast NBCUniversal and Guardian Life and others. They’re partnering with NPower, a decade-old nonprofit that provides tech training and mentorship to veterans and people of color. Together, this coalition aims to rewire the hiring and retention practices of tech companies to be more inclusive. That inclusivity has a special focus on low-income women of color from nontraditional backgrounds who often don’t have college degrees. Coalition partners are helping fund the free training programs delivered by NPower, which will help upskill participants for technology jobs including information technology, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
The Department of Labor Statistics forecasts that by 2029, there will be some 3.6 million computer-related jobs, and that only 24 percent will require bachelor degrees. Helping fill those remaining non-degree 2.7 million jobs while specifically helping recruit women of color into those jobs is the coalition’s goal. If successful, Command Shift could help make seismic change in the tech industry, where representation of women of color are in a stark minority. According to the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), women represent only 25% of workers in tech jobs, with only 18% of Chief Information Officer positions held by women. The situation is even more dire for women of color. NCWIT cites US Bureau of Labor findings, which found that only three percent of the computing workforce are Black women, two percent are Hispanic women and seven percent are Asian American women.
Bringing the Command Shift coalition together is also a smart case study in private-public partnering. “What makes NPower successful is we’re really good at working with companies to inform our curriculum,” said Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower. “The lack of women of color in the technology industry and especially those without college degrees is both a human rights issue and business imperative that requires the united efforts of corporate leaders, elected officials, and philanthropic organizations working alongside our Coalition to effect positive change,” Ceccarelli said. NPower graduates are proof that the program works. Ceccarelli said that on average, graduates experience a 361 percent salary increase, and 80 percent go on to find employment in the information technology space.
In terms of rewiring hiring and retention, NPower seems to understand how to fix the stumbling block of culture fit through placing participants in meaningful internships. “At every opportunity, we look at ways to extend the boundaries of the NPower organization into the boundaries of our corporate partners. We understand what they’re looking for in talent, and it helps us do a far better job at not just preparing our students technically, but helps them understand expectations in terms of the culture and performance once they’re there,” Ceccarelli said.
This approach helped Brashanda Walker, a retired Air Force member, Black mom and recent NPower graduate. Walker remembered that when she started the program in 2019, “I didn’t know the difference between a USB-C and a USB.” She credits that experience in changing her career trajectory. “That internship was my first exposure to corporate environments, and it gave me the confidence that helped me transition into a more prominent role with technical responsibilities,” she said. Now a lab analyst with AIG, Walker also recently bought her home and a new car during the pandemic.
Beyond leveling representation in information technology and tech in general, Command Shift and all partners in this coalition want to help women of color in tech achieve pay equity and thriving careers. Ceccarelli argues that it’s just good post-pandemic business sense. “The companies who create conditions and environments for women of color to bring their full authentic selves to work are going to be far more successful. This will be true not only for retention and future growth, but will also allow those women to tap into their own lived experiences and unique worldviews that help solve real business problems.” Ceccarelli credits the leadership of the coalition – Timicka Anderson, Managing Director of Citi Commercial Banking and LaDavia Drane, Esq., Head of Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at Amazon Web Services – in bringing this deep authenticity to the coalition.
If Command Shift is successful, it could be part of growing momentum around recovery efforts that are more inclusive and sustainable in helping move to a post-pandemic economy. Coalitions like Command Shift could also help us regain equal pay ground that the pandemic attempted to wipe away. It could lift a whole new generation of women of color into technology jobs that could permanently close the pay gap, which is recovery news we all can look forward to.
