Time for IT to step up to the plate

It is a travesty that the latest government statistics show a drop in the number of African-American IT workers, a group that has long been underrepresented in the IT workforce. At a time when the industry is growing, the employment numbers should be increasing, not decreasing. In our ever-changing and diverse society, a declining number of African Americans in the field is unacceptable. It is time for IT leaders to step up to the plate, reach out, and engage in on the job training programs and better recruitment policies to reverse the current trend. Universities should also be encouraged by the IT sector to offer more scholarships to attract African-Americans interested in information technology. For a such an innovative industry, these statistics are certainly disturbing. -Judi

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