Sadiq Khan Set On Boosting The Number Of Young Black Men In London’s Tech Industry
Mayor Of London Sadiq Khan has launched an initiative aimed at tackling the underrepresentation of young Black men in London’s thriving technology sector.
The initiative, called the Tech WIN Design Lab 3 is part of Khan’s wider Workforce Integration Network (WIN) program aimed at increasing the number of young Black men in the capital’s key industries.
Mr. Khan believes it’s “not right that talented and ambitious black Londoners are not being given the opportunity to prosper in the capital’s tech sector”
Statistics already show young Black men make up just five percent of London’s growing, technology workforce, which employs nearly 600,000 people according to recent figures. The sector is also thought to be worth £56 billion to the UK economy.
The Mayor hopes this initiative can bring forth change.
Tech WIN Design Lab 3 will bring businesses together to critique recruitment practices and explore issues around retention and explore the causes of underrepresentation in their workforces and the sector as a whole.
Dell Technologies, Informa Tech, Ford Motor Company, and Profusion are the dozens of charities taking part in the program.
Speaking about the initiative to The Voice Online, Mr. Khan said: “It’s simply not right that young, talented, and ambitious young Black Londoners are not being given the opportunity to prosper in the capital’s thriving tech sector.
“The impact of the pandemic has reinforced why the work of the Workforce Integration Network is so important.
“We have already successfully supported 20 large businesses in the construction and infrastructure sectors, representing a combined workforce of over 100,000, to remove barriers holding young Black Londoners back, and I’m pleased that we are now building on this work with more action.”
He added: “I’m determined to ensure no Londoner is left behind as we recover from the pandemic. Someone’s life chances should never be limited by their family’s background or the color of their skin. This new initiative will give tech and digital businesses better insight into the role they can play to address inequalities, improve diversity and create industry-wide change.”
