Diversity in Tech Remains Embarrassingly Stagnant — These Groups Could Help

Bootcamps like Techtonica, which train underrepresented groups for tech jobs, could be a real solution

Techtonica’s first graduating class of 2018./ Image courtesy of Erin Mahoney

Between sexist manifestos out of Google splashed across the internet and everything about Uber’s executive team in 2017, recent public scandals have drawn a tight lens on Silicon Valley’s longtime problem: employing way too many white men and far too few of basically everyone else.

During the past few years, there’s been a lot of talk about diversity and inclusion in the tech industry — a lot of committees, panel discussions and sparkling new internal “initiatives.” But the reality is that there has been little (real) action and far fewer results.

From 2005 to 2015, the industry saw no growth in the number of women or black technology workers nationwide, according to a Government Accountability Office study. The 78 percent male to 22 percent female ratio stayed the same the entire decade, and black technology workers stayed consistent at a minuscule 6–7 percent.

“The tech industry has a huge problem with saying they support diversity and inclusion but not backing up their words with their…