Diversifying the Tech Pipeline is a business imperative
Posted by The St. Louis American on July 25, 2018:
'Innovation lies within differences, not similarities'
World Wide Technology (WWT), a St. Louis-based global technology solution provider with more than $10 billion in annual revenue, provides integrated technology products, software, consulting and supply chain solutions to large public and private organizations around the globe.
WWT's Advanced Technology Center (ATC), a technological ecosystem is key to enabling these game-changing solutions. Many who experience the ATC simply view it as "Silicon Valley in St. Louis." The technology products and platforms in our labs are quite impressive, but the talented individuals who work side by side with our customers and partners are what drives the real innovation.
Innovation does not happen without dedicated, intentional effort. This includes place, space, people and diversity – diversity of culture, race, gender, education, socioeconomic status, background and thought. Dr. Stephen Covey said that "strength lies in differences, not in similarities." This same thought applies to diversity – innovation lies within differences, not similarities.
Given the predicted technological talent deficit of one million jobs by 2020, workforce pipeline development and diversity is a priority of WWT. We are committed to building, nurturing and diversifying the future of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) workforce by investing in STEM-focused education (traditional and non-traditional) internships, apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities and activities.
WWT partners with community-based organizations that strive to steward the interest in STEM and prepare students and young adults to be "future ready" by first exposing them to STEM-related fields, providing basic STEM training, and ultimately placing these potential candidates into the world of STEM through targeted internships, and ultimately employment. This starts with our own STEM Student Forum but also includes community partners such as Power, Launch Code/Coder Girl and the National Academy Foundation (NAF), to name a few.