Intel to encourage women and minorities to the tech field with $300 million initiative

Women are not well represented in the technology field, but overall they have a much better presence than Latinos and African-Americans who are mostly in the single-digit percentile. Will we see tech companies jump to the challenge? At least someone at Intel wants to do things right.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced at CES 2015 yesterday the Diversity in Technology initiative with the goal of hiring and retaining more women and under-represented minorities. “We’re calling on our industry to again make the seemingly impossible possible by making a commitment to real change and clarity in our goals,” stated Krzanich. “Without a workforce that more closely mirrors the population, we are missing opportunities, including not understanding and designing for our own customers.”

What Krzanich says is correct. As of last year’s diversity report, Intel said it employs only 9% of Latinos and 4% of African-Americans. Certainly, tech companies can do much better than that, and hope others see Intel and follow suit.

Among the partners contributing to the realization of this initiative include: International Game Developers Association, the E-Sports League, the National Center for Women in Technology, the CyberSmile Foundation, the Feminist Frequency, and Rainbow PUSH.

Intel is planning to support primary education programs in under-served areas and expand computer science and engineering programs at higher education institutions.

[Source]: Intel: Intel CEO Outlines Future of Computing – Announces Wearable Collaboration with Oakley* and Intel® Curie™, a Tiny, Button-Sized Product to Enable Wearable Solutions – Intel Plans to Invest $300 Million to Encourage More Diversity at Intel and within the Tech Industry, Announces Hiring and Retention Goal,

[Infogram]: InformationIsBeautiful.net: Diversity in Tech (December 2014).