Dive Brief:
-
U.S. employers are facing a skills shortage in the manufacturing, information technology and engineering fields, and one way to fill this need would be to turn to the rapidly growing Hispanic population, according to a new report by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan leadership development organization, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
-
The new report, the latest result of SHRM's collaboration with CHCI, mentions that about one-quarter, or 14.6 million, of all Hispanics are millennials (ages 18 to 33 in 2014), And many of the fastest-growing jobs—those in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields—pay well and require education beyond a high school diploma. But that's where there is much work to do, according to the study.
-
Among Hispanics, only 18.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher, versus 27.7% of blacks, 37.7% of whites and 60.1% of Asians, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means young Latinos currently lack the proper education and training to be viable, marketable candidates for those STEM jobs, but it's not too late to change that situation.
Dive Insight:
The good news is from 2010 to 2013, Hispanic employees increased their STEM credentials by obtaining certificates and associate, bachelor's and graduate degrees. For example, during that time, the number of STEM certificates earned by Latinos increased 160%, from 3,655 to 9,502 certificates.
The report can serve as an employer "roadmap" for employer best practices, including mentoring in college and in the workforce, peer support systems, training programs such as apprenticeships and internships, and "creative benefits," such as scholarships, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, flexible leave, maternity leave and family leave. These benefits appeal to a wide range of employees, including Hispanic millennials.
