June 28, 2019 Technology Career Challenges for Women and Minorities

Volume 22 | Issue 2

Wage gaps, lack of training access and mentoring for women and minorities results in $400 billion missed potential gain annually.

Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published or continue below to read the text article.

Technology and industry go hand-in-hand and those who work every day as information security and infrastructure specialists, coders, UX/UI experts, software developers and engineers, storage, network and data authorities, web and graphic designers need to keep their skillsets updated to the latest programs and implementations. From computer aided design to IOT, product life cycles to manufacturing, architecture and construction computer technology professionals are supporting industry. The key to remaining on the cutting edge of one’s career is to sign up to become certified through online courses or attend continuing education seminars and conferences. While these options seem readily available to many, they are often limited to women and minorities around the world due to cost, cultural barriers and access.

A recent Wired article by Blanca Myers titled, “Women and Minorities in Tech, By the Numbers” states “women in STEM make $16,000 less on average than their male counterparts, and if you’re black or Hispanic, you might be making $14,000 less than your white coworker. And while the nation (United States) has, overall, increased the number of Computer Science course offerings in K-12 education, black and Hispanic students are less likely to have access to those resources.”

SkillsBuild Training Co-Founders, A.P. Samuel and Jenniel Taylor-Samuel, M.Ed, CCSP are based out of Calgary, Canada. A.P. Samuel has a 20-year background as an IT educator and consultant—previously, he traveled around the world educating students about IT. Co-Founder, Jenniel Taylor-Samuel, M.Ed, CCSP has a background in education. The two joined forces to provide convenient access to affordable technology training programs on an international scale via a state-ofthe- art online training and mentoring program for students. Their intent is to provide high level IT training to people from different cultures and educational histories, so that they may obtain the necessary skills and certifications required to succeed in today’s tech-driven business environment.

“After training hundreds of IT candidates, we noticed women and minorities were underrepresented in tech.” said A.P. Samuel. “The major challenge affecting women and minorities getting involved in tech could be easily explained by the lack of IT training specifically tailored for these groups. This often results in a less creative workforce and lower revenue for companies. We created SkillsBuild to provide the training and support that women and minorities need to enter and thrive in the IT industry. Our programs are fun, interactive and engaging. Many companies just offer IT courses, but SkillsBuild provides comprehensive career development programs.”

The wage and training gap for women and minorities is potentially hindering the IT industry globally. TechRepublic’s “5 Eye-Opening Statistics About Minorities in Tech” states “ramping up diversity efforts in the IT industry could result in $400 billion more revenue per year.” It is clear that investment in this area would strongly benefit companies of all sizes and their employees who fall under these categories. As learning is an individualized process for many; Jenniel Taylor-Samuel, M.Ed, CCSP, spoke to the customization within their program which benefits women and minorities who are new to IT.

“Not all individuals respond to learning in the same way, especially if they have not been provided with the same opportunities upfront, which is often the case with many women and minorities,” said Taylor-Samuel. “Our IT training program uses proven learning methodologies which cater to all learners whether their style is by hearing, seeing or doing. We also help women and minorities navigate new job markets in a variety of fields such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare and energy. Our courses allow learners to develop their IT and workplace skills on a much deeper level. We follow their progress as they go on to excel and find their dream job—this is truly our passion and purpose as a company.”

What the Future Holds

IT industry writer and developer, Lyndsey Scott, in an article for Forbes Magazine wrote, “The prediction is that in just two years there will be 1.4 million open computer science related jobs and only 400,000 qualified candidates. That’s 1 million unfilled computer science jobs within the next two years. Although the total US workforce is approximately half male, half female, within STEM jobs, men outnumber women 4 to 1.”

Extensive technology training in an immediate sense is clearly necessary for women and minorities, as they will help to close this gap. This underserved population will undoubtedly access a much greater degree of personal and professional success through specially tailored online courses like those found at SkillsBuild Training.

“We prepare students for industry recognized IT certifications from CompTIA, Microsoft, CISCO and more,” said A.P. Samuel. “SkillsBuild Training offers a 100 percent 30-day guarantee as well for all programs. The company provides a comprehensive IT career development program that features, Expert, Instructor-led Video Based Training, Live Practice Labs, Job Search Skills, Mentorship, and many other features. Courses are updated frequently by our content director to anticipate the latest market trends and skills demand.”

Many women and minorities underestimate the value they can add the IT industry. We need more diversified minds within the industry to better serve and reflect the dynamism of today’s industry and in preparation for the ever-evolving industry of tomorrow.

Jenniel Taylor-Samuel discussed precisely how women and minorities can succeed in today’s technology job market to address the gap and get ahead in their fields.

“The future is absolutely female and minority,” said Taylor-Samuel. “This is a proven statement worldwide. These two very large and talented groups will undoubtedly continue to raise revenue for industry as a whole. Companies and human resource departments need to stay abreast of the cutting-edge of technology skill set development. This will help women and minorities stay competitive and properly aligned with the goals of the organization and also stay competitive within their industry. Great minds in tech need to be supported and developed, as the landscape changes so rapidly.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A.P. Samuel and Jenniel Taylor-Samuel, M.Ed, CCSP
SkillsBuild Training Co-Founders, A.P. Samuel and Jenniel Taylor-Samuel, M.Ed, CCSP are based out of Calgary, Canada. A.P. Samuel has a 20-year background as an IT educator and consultant—previously, he traveled around the world educating students about IT. Co-Founder, Jenniel Taylor-Samuel, M.Ed, CCSP has a background in adult education and career coaching. The two joined forces to provide convenient access to affordable technology training programs on an international scale via a state-of-the-art online training and mentoring program for students. Their intent is to provide high level IT training to people from different cultures and educational histories, so that they may obtain the necessary skills and certifications required to succeed in today’s tech-driven business environment.

Web site: https://www.skillsbuildtraining.com/
Contact Information:
204-1440 52nd Street NE, Suite 302
Calgary AB T2A 4T8, Canada
Contact SkillsBuild via Phone: 855-205-8263

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