Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has announced a new program to address the underrepresentation of Black men in the city’s tech sector.
Dell Technologies, Informa Tech, Cloudreach, Ford Motor Company, Profusion, Cognizant, Panasee, and Telent Technology Services are among the eight tech companies that will participate in the program.
The plan, which was revealed last week, is part of the mayor’s current Workforce Integration Program, which aims to boost the number of young Black males working in critical businesses in the city. Rather than focusing on what individuals can do to enhance their job prospects, the program brings together businesses from a variety of industries to examine current practices and investigate the causes of underrepresentation in their workforces and the industry as a whole.
While young Black men make up 18% of London’s population, they only make up 5% of the capital’s technological workforce, according to a report released by the Greater London Authority in 2020 titled “Voices of the Underrepresented.” It is estimated that the sector is worth £56 billion to the economy.
The fact that individuals aged 16-24 are among the most likely to be unemployed (almost one in three) emphasizes the need to increase the number of Black men in the tech profession (compared to just 15 percent of young white men).
Dean Forbes, the CEO of Forterro Group, invests in and supports young people and entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds through his Forbes Family Group foundation. He claims that institutional barriers such as access to education, life experiences, and opportunities continue to make success more difficult for persons from certain socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic groups.
Forbes stated, “Those barriers existed 20 years ago, and they still exist now.” “In some ways, they’re much worse now than they were before.” I believe that today’s young Black males, especially in London, have a bigger uphill battle to overcome some negative perceptions than I did when I was coming into interviews [20 years ago].”
Addressing the root causes
Businesses that join the program receive 12-month support to develop an action plan for recruiting, retaining, and advancing more young Black males in their organizations. Recruitment, supplier chains, workplace culture, data, and advancement will all receive special attention.
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In collaboration with City Hall, the Equal Group will also host a series of workshops, one-on-one sessions, data gathering, supply chain audits, supplier introductions, and networking opportunities.
“It’s simply not right that young, brilliant, and ambitious young Black Londoners are not being given the opportunity to succeed in the capital’s thriving IT sector,” Khan said, explaining the new project.
“We have already successfully supported 20 large businesses in the construction and infrastructure sectors, representing a combined workforce of over 100,000, to remove barriers that are preventing young Black Londoners from succeeding, and I’m pleased that we are now taking more action to build on this work.”
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The ongoing pandemic has reaffirmed the necessity for the Workforce Integration Network, he noted, as well as his desire to ensure that no Londoner is left behind in the city’s post-pandemic recovery.
“A person’s life opportunities should never be limited by their family’s background or skin color,” Khan stated. “This new project will provide a greater understanding of the role that IT and digital firms can play in addressing inequalities, improving diversity, and driving industry-wide change.”
Forbes feels that the new program is well-intentioned and will benefit some young Black guys. However, he believes it falls short of addressing some of the core issues of the lack of diversity in the tech business.
The initiative is intended to assist Black males who have already reached a specific point in their lives — for example, those who have completed a relevant degree and are now wanting to begin a career in technology — but it does not assist young guys who are still striving to reach that stage.
He claims that many young Black males are unaware that they could have a career in technology since they do not have exposure to the business while still in school. Forbes also stated that more needs to be done to increase awareness that having a computer science degree or studying the subject is not the only route to get a job in the tech industry.
“It’s likely that the main source of these problems is a few tiers below [what Khan’s effort addresses], “he stated “It’s about addressing people in certain socioeconomic categories’ lack of access to opportunities. This isn’t precisely what you’re looking for. It provides a space and a program for people higher up the food chain, but I believe this issue is best addressed at the grassroots level, between the ages of 14 and 18, when young men from those cohorts begin to make life decisions and form relationships that will shape the next chapter of their lives.
Nonetheless, Forbes stated that firms are becoming more aware of the challenges at hand and are realizing that they need to work more and do better.
“One of the great things about technology is that it is built into our DNA,” he remarked. “As a result, we have a better understanding of how diversity of thought may help us innovate.” We prefer to question thinking and the way things are done, which is a strand of DNA that you’ll find in most tech organizations.”
