SC Media reports that the high-tech industry continues to lag in women, Black and Hispanic workers even after 20 years of efforts toward strengthening diversity in the sector.
Even though women accounted for nearly half of the total U.S. workforce, they were only 22.6% of the high-tech workforce, which is unchanged from two decades ago, while fewer than 20% were in higher-paying positions within the sector, according to a report from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The findings also showed that the percentage of Black workers within the field only slightly increased from 6% in 2005 to 7.4% in 2022. On the other hand, Hispanic workers accounted for less than 10% of the industry's workforce despite representing almost 20% of the total U.S. workforce.
"Reexamining and revising education and training requirements for cybersecurity roles is a great place to start. For example, many organizations still prioritize traditional qualifications such as four-year degrees, however, more than 90% of our survey respondents say that candidates with cybersecurity certifications stand out," said Fortinet Vice President of Global Training and Technical Field Enablement Rob Rashotte.
