One of the core challenges facing Pittsburgh and Southwestern PA is the striking racial disparity between under- and unemployed blacks and whites.
According to the report on “Inclusion in the Workforce” (published by Sustainable Pittsburgh), during 2001-2005, 44% of working age African-Americans were unemployed or out of the labor market. In 2000, the African American male unemployment rates were twice that of Caucasian males in the city of Pittsburgh and three times as large as those in Allegheny County. These figures represent challenging issues concerning diversity that need to be addressed to ensure the region’s long-term economic growth and competitiveness.
Currently, the Pittsburgh region is one of the least diverse metropolitan regions of the top 100 metro areas in the country. Our low level of diversity, particularly among foreign born individuals, puts the region at a competitive disadvantage. Given the changing demographics of the nation, growing talent demands of the region, and ongoing need for leaders to develop and drive the region’s future, it is an economic imperative that we seed a pipeline of diverse individuals who are ready to move into leadership roles throughout the region. With support of a $75,000 Catalytic Grant from Neighborhood Allies, Vibrant Pittsburgh and the Urban League are working to do exactly that.
At a time when industry is beginning to look to the “Rooney Rule” as a model for increasing the diversity of the workplace nationally (most recently in the tech sector), Vibrant Pittsburgh is working with the Urban League to build a diverse pipeline of talent that is Rooney Rule ready. There are a number of issues that many studies have proffered to suggest reasons for the lack of diversity in leadership roles. Often they boil down to:
- a lack of mentors,
- a lack of sponsors,
- biases in the system,
- insufficient power networks surrounding under-represented individuals,
- organizational culture that rewards “sameness” (i.e., a tradition of hiring and elevating people that look like or are in the same network as the current leadership), and
- The Meritocracy Myth: the fact that individual gains often have less to do with merit and more to do with non-merit advantages like the power of one’s network or familial connections.
The funding provided by Neighborhood Allies is supporting the Ready Now Ready Future project – to offset barriers, like the lack of “non-merit advantages,” by building a web-based system that will facilitate connections of more diverse individuals to leadership opportunities in the region. The system will provide web-based tools for a cohort of diverse talent that is either “ready now” or “ready future” for leadership opportunities and a cohort of “opportunity holders” committed to diversifying the ranks of their leadership teams.
Although we have not begun the marketing of this project, the value of Neighborhood Allies’ support has already generated a return for the community. The mere consideration and issuance of a grant supporting an initiative designed to elevate diverse talent to significant leadership positions in our region’s anchor institutions has raised consciousness and awareness about the region’s leadership disparities. Additionally, Neighborhood Allies’ support has helped to open doors to additional grantors and provided meaningful opportunities for Vibrant Pittsburgh, the Urban League and Neighborhood Allies to work together.”
–Melanie Harrington, Vibrant Pittsburgh
One of the essential components of this project is the assessment and identification of individuals and affinity groups that will be prime targets for this initiative during the pilot phase. The project team has been conducting interviews with target groups, individuals and institutions to hone in on the high priority matters, which they believe, will have the greatest impact on the achievement of project goals. Although these meetings and convenings are still underway, we are providing a diversity of young professionals an opportunity to be heard. And, this is their caution to the region’s leadership. “We are beginning to see the Pittsburgh region as a place to begin our careers and start up our businesses. However, we are not convinced it is a place where we can grow our careers and businesses.” (Quote is paraphrasing a common sentiment raised over a series of presentations and meetings with millennial groups, the Vibrant Pittsburgh Emerging Leaders Initiative, outreach meetings with the Affinity Groups in the Vibrant Inclusion Council, and the Urban League Young Professionals Sept 2015, CEO panel discussion).
In a Vibrant Pittsburgh led study of workforce diversity in the region as compared to other benchmark regions, the Pittsburgh region has the least diverse workforce. Additionally among industries African American wages are significantly lower than racial/ethnic groups. (See the Regional Workforce Diversity Indicators Report, Behind the Times, March 2015). Additionally, in a report that the Heinz Endowments released concerning structural racial barriers in the region, the study notes that the lack of effective social networks is a serious impediment to the elevation of African American men and boys. Both these studies demand that action. The region has undergone one of the most heralded economic transformations in modern times. But its continued economic growth and prosperity is dependent upon the region’s ability to provide meaningful inclusive and equitable opportunities for people of all backgrounds. The Ready Now Ready Future project is coordinating a regional response to these economic development challenges facing the Greater Pittsburgh area and many other communities across the country.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Ready Now Ready Future project!
