Qlik and the Blacks In Technology (BIT) Foundation Team Up to Increase African-American Tech Inclusion in Philadelphia
October 06, 2021
Philadelphia – The Blacks In Technology (BIT) Foundation is proud to have Qlik® as a partner to support efforts to increase representation of people of African descent in the greater Philadelphia technology industry. As a regional sponsor Qlik will collaborate with BIT Philadelphia to provide training and upskilling for workers who are transitioning into tech and technology industry workers who aspire to advance their career.
Due to COVID-19, nearly one in five Black Pennsylvanians was unemployed as 2020 ended, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute. That was the highest rate of unemployment for Black people in any U.S. state at the time, and the unemployment rate remains higher than any other racial group in Pennsylvania. The median annual income for computer and information technology occupations in the Philadelphia region is $90,200, according to recent United States Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and according to CompTIA, there are approximately 300,000 open tech industry and tech occupation jobs available in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Qlik looks to partner with organizations that truly make a difference and create positive impact towards a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive world. Partnering with BIT will enable Qlik to expand access for the underserved Black community to a range of resources and opportunities in the fast-growing data and analytics field, which is accelerating change across every industry. Growing companies are looking for candidates that have a high level of data literacy – the ability to read, work with and analyze data for action, and Qlik is an established leader in this area. Through internship programs to help create career paths, free data literacy training courses and more advanced upskilling courses, Qlik will directly provide to BIT members the chance to truly transform their skills and career trajectories.
“As a regional sponsor, Qlik can have an immediate and long-lasting impact on the Philadelphia Black community. By removing barriers to entry into tech for unemployed and under-employed workers, through technical training certification grants, scholarships, and mentorship, I visualize BIT and Qlik changing lives for the better,” said Dennis Schultz, Executive Director of the Blacks In Technology Foundation. He added, “BIT has programs and initiatives to assist workers at scale and transition them into new careers with family sustainable wages.”
“Qlik believes we have a responsibility to create a more equitable and inclusive environment for underserved communities to succeed and benefit from technology, especially so in the greater Philadelphia area with our worldwide headquarters based in King of Prussia,” said Julie Kae, VP of Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Qlik. “We’re excited to partner with BIT to create career opportunities for the Black community in the field of data and analytics, which is growing and transforming the way every company operates across the globe.”
Qlik is sponsoring the upcoming virtual BITCON event, October 13-15, with a panel conversation on October 13 at 1 pm ET titled, “What Black ERG’s Need to be Successful,” and a virtual booth where visitors can find out more about career opportunities with Qlik and its various programs. For more information visit: https://hopin.com/events/bitcon-2021#schedule.
About Qlik
Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private SaaS company, Qlik provides an end-to-end, real-time data integration and analytics cloud platform to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik does business in more than 100 countries and serves over 38,000 active customers around the world.
About the Blacks in Technology Foundation
Founded in 2008 and established in 2012, Blacks In Technology LLC is the largest community and media organization that focuses on people of African descent in the technology industry. Through community-focused activities, events and outreach, The Blacks In Technology (BIT) Foundation is “Stomping the Divide” by establishing a blueprint of world-class technical excellence and innovation by providing resources, guidance, networking, and opportunities for members to share their expertise and advance their careers. For more information on the Blacks In Technology Foundation visit: https://foundation.blacksintechnology.net/
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