Check Out These Orgs Prepping Black Kids for Tomorrow’s Jobs

By Aziah Siid | Word In BlackOverview: Black students typically receive less exposure, have fewer role models and less access in STEM fields than their white peers. As a result, fewer young Black people are choosing to study engineering and other technology-based fields, leading to a lack of diversity.(WIB) – If the American K-12 education system were graded on how well it prepares Black students for the jobs of the future, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math, it probably would fail.Black people are currently underrepresented in high-wage jobs, but overrepresented in low-wage work and have a disproportionately high rate of unemployment compared to whites. By contrast, only around 1 in 10 workers in STEM fields, such as computer coding or biotechnology, are Black.& The 2024 Black Students and STEM Report, released in April, found that while tests show Black students, in general, have an aptitude for jobs in those fields, they lack interest, “likely in part due to a lack of Black individuals currently represented in these careers.”RELATED: 5 Organizations Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship That lack of interest originates in middle and high school, when students “explore coursework, engage with counselors and teachers, explore skills and trades, and imagine future...