Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have delivered on their mission of providing educational opportunities to Black people despite serious funding challenges. They continue to produce state-of-the-art talent pipeline for various industries. HBCUs have shown they can innovate despite the lack of resources and produce technically skilled individuals. By partnering with these schools, organisations can see the benefits of a unique and diverse pool of talent. While HBCUs are known to produce in-demand talent, not all organisations are well equipped to leverage it.

HBCUs require greater investment to thrive and support the wider community. Public HBCUs rely heavily on government funding and have less revenue per student. Private HBCUs have fewer sources of revenue, yet they can produce twice as many Black Americans earning STEM undergraduate degrees compared to private non-HBCUs. Education and industry leaders need to work together to balance the gap between sought-after in-demand skills and available talent from HBCUs.

Recommendations

Organisations can create long-term investments in HBCUs to benefit everyone. Identifying shared goals and synergies, building relationships based on trust, and a commitment to true partnership is crucial to success. Organisations can provide resources and train faculty in their technologies to equip students with up-to-date skills. Lastly, organisations can provide financial awards to those students willing to make their mark in promising and disruptive technologies.

IBM has a range of initiatives that contribute resources and capacity building at HBCUs, including the IBM Academic Initiative, IBM-HBCU Quantum Centre, and IBM Skills Academy. The report also cites examples of other organisations that have spearheaded productive collaborations with HBCUs. Every organisation must take steps to identify the schools that make the right fit for them, define their strategy, commit to the work, evaluate the partnership, and track metrics of their shared success.