IT sector fails to create multicultural workforce

IT companies like Microsoft are facing challenges creating a diverse workforce

The IT sector is struggling to create a multicultural workforce because few women and people from ethnic minorities choose to learn technical skills, according to Microsoft.

The Redmond giant said that too few African-Americans, Hispanics and women will graduate with degrees that prepare them for IT-related jobs.

This situation has serious repercussions for IT companies such as Microsoft that are looking constantly to increase diversity in their workforce.

Statistics released by the National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT) suggest that African-Americans accounted for roughly 11 per cent of bachelor's degree recipients in computer science in 2006-2007.

Hispanics accounted for approximately seven per cent, while women accounted for only 19 per cent of computing and information science undergraduate degrees in the same period.

The NCWIT also cited predictions from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that computer-related occupations are among the fastest growing in the US, and will add around 822,000 jobs to the economy by 2016.

The data shows the challenges IT companies face when striving to create a multicultural workforce.

"The lack of diversity in the IT field is not because pursuing an engineering degree is too hard, and blacks and Hispanics turn away, but because too few students of any race or ethnicity are exposed to maths and science," said Carl Mack, executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers.

"There is also a lack of role models in these communities attracting students to these disciplines. Major IT corporations like Microsoft have to find a way to build the existing pipeline of talent by exciting students about careers in IT. "

Microsoft is actively engaged in efforts to reverse this trend with its Diversity Recruiting Initiatives Via Excellence (Drive) campaign to address what the firm sees as three major challenges to building an IT workforce.

These are 'building an IT pipeline', 'cultivating talent' and 'attracting and retaining qualified diverse talent'.

"Drive is just one example of Microsoft's commitment to be the leader in attracting minorities and women to careers in IT," said Kelly Chapman, director of diversity recruiting at Microsoft.

"With new jobs opening all across the company, our newly launched youatmicrosoft.com tool will help recruit the best and brightest to meet our workforce needs."