I heard a stunning fact recently while serving on a national committee for Diversity & Inclusion in Cybersecurity Education.
During our very first meeting, a member reported that students graduating from a program he works with could not get hired into entry-level positions. (His program’s focus is a minoritized group of students.)
Understandably, some team members suggested that improving students' interviewing skills might help address the issue.
However, I must deliver some disappointing news: Improving interview skills alone is unlikely to solve the problem. I’ll tell you why:
There’s well-documented evidence that the Cybersecurity Industry is not particularly inclusive towards people of color or women, as reported by reputable sources including the Forbes Technology Council. This issue extends beyond Cybersecurity to other male-dominated fields such as Automotive, Manufacturing, and Agricultural Technology Career Pathways.
These are all areas in which I’m actively engaged, and I’ve heard the same thing on the ground myself. The findings are supported by industry reports that come from my WomenTech Educators Training. I’ll give you just one of many examples:
I once received a phone call from the Chair of an Automotive Program at a Community College in the Southern region of the United States. He was facing a heartbreaking problem. One of his female students won a national automotive competition through SkillsUSA, yet she was struggling to secure employment with local employers.
So what’s the solution?
The National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science has a 3-pronged approach to Job Placement for Women and Minoritized Communities that’s highly effective in virtually ensuring they'll be hired.
Job Placement Data Dashboard Development of a customized job placement data dashboard to track placement of all students, with data for women and Under-Represented communities disaggregated for comparative purposes, in order to more easily identify disparities.
Industry-Driven Job Placement Plan for Women in STEM/CTE (virtual) A 3-hour facilitation by Donna Milgram of Industry partners collaborating to create a plan to ensure female students graduating from programs like yours will be hired.
Job Placement of Women in STEM/CTE Workshop (virtual) Training and coaching of job placement and related staff on how to prepare women to job-hunt in male-dominated industries. These include: how to get an interview, addressing the unasked questions in the interview, interview attire for women in the trades and automotive, and how to empower women to succeed during these processes.
Diversity and Inclusion means ensuring the women who graduate from your programs can get that first job. By implementing these initiatives offered by The National Institute for Women in Trades Technology & Science (IWITTS), your program can greatly increase its ability to successfully place female graduates into rewarding careers in STEM & CTE fields.
Let me help you help them.
Click the TALK TO DONNA button below to set up a convenient time to talk.
PS We still have spaces left for our October WomenTech Educators Bootcamp.
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