With Black History Month a key event in October, it seems only right that we should celebrate black representation within the tech industry, drawing attention to inspiring figures, and understanding what we can do in order to make the workforce as diverse and empowered as possible. A diverse workforce drives innovation and sparks creativity, creating a group of people who bring unique experiences and perspectives to the table. Within this blog, we will explore how the black community are represented in the UK workforce, some of many inspiring individuals within this industry, and discuss which steps we can take in order to create a more diverse future.
The Current UK Tech Workforce:
Within the UK tech industry, there is a decreased amount of representation for black professionals. At the moment, they only make up a mere 3% of tech employees, whilst the statistic for black women is even lower, at 0.7%, according to the Tech Talent Charter Diversity in Tech Report 2023. These figures are not reflective of society as a whole, and draw our attention to the systemic barriers that are put in place within our industry. Factors such as limited access to mentorship or biases (both conscious and unconscious) within the hiring process contribute significantly to this lack of representation, and it is all of our responsibilities to do what we can in order to increase diversity.
Inspiring Individuals:
There are hundreds of inspiring individuals who have contributed significantly to improving, empowering and developing black representation within the technology sector, but this blog will focus on three- Charlene Hunter, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, and Tome Ilube.
Charlene Hunter MBE:
Charlene Hunter MBE is an exceptional woman, known best for her role as CEO of Coding Black Females. Charlene founded CBF in 2017, to combat the underrepresentation of black women within the technology sector. Coding Black Females provides support, mentorship and opportunities for young women, allowing them to increase their networks and create an empowered community. Charlene has increased visibility surrounding roles in technology for black women, inspiring them to take on careers in this industry.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE:
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon has always been an incredible person. When she was eleven years old, she became the youngest person to ever pass an A-Level in Computing- a truly impressive feat. By the time she was 20, she had received a Masters in Maths and Computer Science from the University of Oxford, proving her technological brilliance from a young age. In 2013, Anne-Marie founded Stemettes- a social enterprise which inspires girls, young women, and non-binary people into STEM. Since its foundation, Stemettes has reached and supported over 65,000 people all over Europe, indicating just how many people have been impacted and inspired by this program.
Tom Ilube:
Tom Ilube is the founder and CEO of Crossword Cybersecurity, and has had a number of influential roles, such as CIO at the BBC. In addition to these incredible roles, Tom is also a supportive and passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within the technology industry and beyond. He has set up the African Gifted Foundation- a charity that provides educational opportunities for gifted African students. The charity has set up the African Science Academy- a girls school in Ghana which provides young women with the opportunity to further their STEM knowledge.
Actions for a more diverse future:
There is much to be done in order to ensure a representative workforce, but with advocation and support this should be something that is possible to achieve. Within education and training, it is integral to introduce earlier exposure to scientific and technological fields to young people, so they can feel their passion for the subject at a young age. Equally as important are programs and scholarships which target young black talent, ensuring they are given the opportunity they deserve to excel in the technological industry. More role models, and increased representation would help to inspire and empower young people from black backgrounds to pursue a career within the tech industry.
Businesses and corporations also have a responsibility to implement and enforce diversity within the technological workforce. They should create inclusive and diverse workplaces, as these are not only a more accurate reflection of society, but they also provide more innovative and creative approaches and perspectives to a company. Adopting different recruitment strategies, such as skills-based hiring approaches, or anonymising candidates in the screening stages could help ensure that there is a decrease in unconscious bias, as people will be judged based only on what they would be able to bring to a role.
Conclusion:
It is all of our responsibility to support initiatives that increase black representation within the UK tech industry. In advocating for greater representation, we are driving a more inclusive and diverse future, where innovation, creativity and inclusion are at the forefront of our workforce, and society as a whole.
