MILWAUKEE — Diversity and inclusion is one of the biggest challenges facing the tech industry today. I.C. Stars has a mission to change that narrative.
"We're looking for adults who are coming from underserved communities. We have a full-time recruitment manager who's out in the community looking for people who are talented and have a sense of larger than self," said Janine Dickens, Sponsorships and Events Manager for I.C. Stars.
The organization connects employers with an untapped supply of promising talent that goes through a somewhat rigorous training program.
"Our sponsors not only are supporting us financially, but they're coming in and leading workshops. They're coming in and talking directly to our interns, doing mock interviews with them," said Dickens.
Those sponsors, which include Molson Coors, Northwestern Mutual, and Children's Hospital, are feeding their employee pipeline while also supporting this unique technology training program. Joy Daniels is the Technology Training Manager at I.C. Stars.
"Our program is 16 weeks long, 12 hours a day, five days a week and we have 12 hours of three different types of training: business, leadership, and technology," said Daniels.
Online recruitment platform Zippia cites that for the entirety of its existence, the tech industry has been exclusive and severely lacking in diversity.
25% of tech jobs are held by women while men hold 75% of tech jobs
In the U.S., 83% of executives are white, and on average women in tech are offered a salary of 3% less than men for the same job.
"So here at I.C. Stars, it's so important for us to teach tech so that you can bring it into those underserved communities," said Daniels.
Alexa Lopez completed the I.C. Stars program in 2019. When she started she knew nothing about computers and had no idea what she wanted to do.
"I definitely didn't know what I wanted to do. I kind of grew up just given two paths in life where it's you either go to college or you don't go to college. Kind of get a dead-end job and just work," said Lopez.
She says the program gave her insight and since completing the program, her career continues to grow. She landed a job at MacGregor Partners and was recently promoted from a junior technical consultant to a senior software engineer.
"I develop tailored solutions for our customers using the Blue Yonder Warehouse managing system. Anything custom that they want, they come to me," said Lopez.
I.C. Stars is always looking for recruits because they realize when businesses consist of people from the same backgrounds, they often leave diverse ideas, perspectives and talent behind.
"I am eternally grateful to I.C. Stars," said Lopez.
For more information on I.C. Stars, visit their website.
