teaching methods. If we have a 50
percent drop-out rate in a school,
bringing a computer into the classroom doesn’t change that.”
Education and
Digital Empowerment
Experts say that people of color,
women and other groups are often
unaware of the important role they
played in the development of technology. “Walk into any classroom,”
says Taborn, “and most students
will know who NBA star Kobe
Bryant is. Few, if any, will be able to
identify Dr. Mark Dean, an African
American who was instrumental in
the development of the PC.”
How to level the playing field
and make technology a wealth-building tool for all? Make it relevant. For example, “Connect race
with technology so the two are
not separate,” suggests Taborn.
“Once people of color see that
there’s a role for them, that they
have been contributors to this, it’s
easier to move forward.”
Similarly, research shows that
young women are not using technology to build wealth. “For girls,
computer technology has replaced
the telephone as a means of social
interaction,” says Marla Ozarowski,
past chairperson of The Girls in
Technology Outreach program
sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based group Women In Technology.
What still needs to be done, says
Ozarowski, is cultivating an interest
in how technology works and how it
can be used to help people succeed.
Building a More Diverse
Digital Work Force
Despite the growing number of
companies that value diversity
and are working to bridge the digital divide, America’s assets continue to be underutilized. The per-
Underrepresentation of
Race and Gender in the IT Work Force (2004)
100%
50
0
- 50
-100
-150
-200
-250
50. 4
30. 3
22. 4
6. 6
-190.7
Women Black AsianAmerican Latino White
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Teaming Up to Promote Diversity
What do the NBA and CareerBuilder.com share in common? A commitment to diversity in the work force. That’s
why the NBA and CareerBuild-
er.com have teamed up to promote
diversity recruitment among employers and career development among
young people.
The two organizations unveiled the
first “Legends in Business” team of
NBA legends who will take a message of diversity to more than 100
employers and over 100,000 potential employees. The outreach will be
supported through a variety of initiatives, including career-oriented con-
tent on the NBA Employment Web site and NBA.com,
along with various job fairs and employer conferences.
“Our partnership with the NBA is part of CareerBuild-
er.com’s commitment to serving the employment needs
of the communities around us, ” says Brent Rasmussen,
COO of CareerBuilder.com (shown third from left).
“Combining the resources of the nation’s largest job site
and a global sports giant like the NBA will help to raise
awareness of issues that are critical to today’s and tomorrow’s work force.”
The partnership highlights the changes going on in the
U.S. labor force, where women and people of color are
expected to make up 34 percent of the labor force by
2012. Studies have shown that diversity increases a company’s success,
positively impacts company culture
and helps companies to improve
relationships with their customers.
CareerBuilder.com and the NBA
Legends in Business team are dedicated to educating employers and
employees about the important role
that diversity hiring practices plays
in the workplace.
The Legends in Business team includes NBA Legends Julius Erving,
Clyde Drexler, Dave Bing, Jamal Mashburn and Dominique
Wilkins (shown left to right). Selected for their success
on and off the basketball court, the team will emphasize
the importance of diversity in the workplace.
CareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest job site with
more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1. 5 million
jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc., Tribune Company and
The McClatchy Company, the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with
employers. For more information about CareerBuilder.com
products and services, visit
www.careerbuilder.com.
