Instructions:
Create an original post and describe the major groups of people with whom you work and the backgrounds from which they originate. Identify the key resources that you use with this group. Then respond to one classmate’s post. You will make a total of two posts.
Remember that our learning group works in a full value environment: We treat our colleagues with respect and professionalism. Our comments should reflect this culture.
In my current role, I work with primarily federal employees performing work in the area of information technology and communications systems under the umbrella of the “cyberspace/cybersecurity” workforce which encompasses a large military veteran population and is quite diverse. As a military Veteran myself since I was 17, my service experience was one that was enriched by the diversity of the military services.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are well-recognized as important for the success of the cybersecurity workforce. Our workforce bring a diverse background, different insights, and different perspectives to our career field that is key to help ensuring its success and fostering growth. I have attended a few NICE webinars that have highlighted for instance, the low numbers of women in cybersecurity and the STEM workforce. I have been research to learn how we can leverage the NICE Framework to encourage more women to join the cybersecurity workforce, as well as how to ensure that our cyberspace workforce development program leverages best practices for diversity, equity and inclusion and thought that I would share some of my findings thus far in case anyone is interested, the NICE Framework is not specific to Federal government but also is for private organizations and industry to use as well:
NICE Framework Competencies: Assessing Learners for Cybersecurity Work (Draft), March 2021: Draft NISTIR 8355, NICE Framework Competencies: Assessing Learners for Cybersecurity Work
Women in Cybersecurity (NSF funded initiative): Home – WiCyS – Women in Cybersecurity
SANS Institute a leader in the cybersecurity field: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | SANS Institute
Aspen Institute September 2021 Report on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Cybersecurity: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cybersecurity – The Aspen Institute
Great post good sir. I feel that the military is one of the best teachers when it comes diversity. In my time in service, I was lucky enough to work and lead people from all around the world. Reading your response brings to mind the skills and knowledge that was presented to us and how well I have been able to used what I learned in my role as a youth outreach coordinator.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important for the success of the cybersecurity workforce, and is also important for just about any workforce. Cybersecurity is an international issue, and therefore, without the diversity you need to understand the nuances of each nationality and culture you encounter, you would not be successful in preventing abuse of technology. I would imagine a team approach and clear communications is also critical to your field. Your experience in the military is a great asset to your practice. It is admirable that you are striving to encourage more women to go into your field.
The major groups I work with are Hispanic, since we live in the border town. Majority are English
Language learners. We have Adult Education in our building, so if they don’t pass our assessments for training we refer them to tutoring or if their scores are very low they are referred to English classes with Adult Education Program. Some of the participants have done their school in Mexico. We provide information on where they can transcribe their studies to see if they are equivalent to a high school diploma here in the United States. If they are not equivalent, we also refer them to Adult Education so they can obtain their GED and then come to our program to obtain a short term training, when individuals receive this training, they become more marketable, thus they are able to gain better employment opportunities.
It’s so great that there are multiple programs out there for those who need the additional assistance to help further themselves in their life and career. I believe GED programs and English tutoring programs are very important to those with a multicultural background. This helps them overcome that barrier impacting their life and career.
Hello, What an interesting population to be working with. I have very little experience with English Language learners or with people where English is not their primary language . If individuals served do not meet education marks at the high school diploma level would this prevent them from entering training? in my work culture we allow participants to set their goal and if they do not have their GED/HSD they are allowed to take trainings or set other goals. I was just curious on your requirements 🙂
I live in a fairly small community on the border over here in Nogales, Arizona. Being that the town is small and on the border with Mexico, majority of times we assist individuals that are Hispanic. Even with Hispanic being the dominant background in the area, there are people that are from different parts of the country. Fortunately, I have had the privilege to meet and work with people from all around the world in my time in the military, so diversity is something I truly appreciate and respect. Here specifically, we get clients that are English language learners. They may speak and understand little to no English. We do have resources to assist them. While we do speak Spanish, we still offer different resources to individuals that come in. We let them know that we do offer English classes through title II, Adult Education. Even with mostly Hispanic backgrounds, I do keep in mind that we may still help people with different background as I have before. No matter who comes through out doors, everyone gets treated equally and with respect.
We are very fortunate to communicate with our participants in their same language and also provide them with the necessary tools to learn a second language which will enable them to overcome the language barrier. It is very rewarding to see them learn a second language and see them achieve their goals of continuing their education.
In Alaska we serve a population with many native languages. I agree, respect for others we serve is key when trying to bridge a language barrier.
The majority of clients I work with are Alaskan Native. Many times clients are don’t have the educational background needed as well as goals and plans for their future. Within the company, we provide GED programs and skills training for our clients. Training programs include medical training, administrative assistance trainings, and electrical trainings. All of our programs are fully funded and free to our clients to allow our clients to have one less thing to worry about while furthering their career and education.
I work with a company that only serves Alaska Natives or American Indians exclusively and must live within the municipality of Anchorage. I am a job coach and the requirement for the participants we serve are to be Alaskan Native or American Indian and be under the poverty line. Seeing as we are in Alaska We mostly serve Alaska Natives that populate the cook inlet region and surrounding tribes experiencing homelessness or a significant transition that would make them eligible for cash funding. We are a non profit that serves multiple regional tribes and provides funding to be an all “stop shop” for any regional group. If people are experiencing Domestic Violence we have a domestic violence shelter staff onsite to provide resources potential emergency housing; We also have a Alaska Native Justice center that can provide legal services. We have funding titled 477 which can provide emergency housing, help with car repairs, work clothing, pay for educational classes or training, provide bus pass or gas cards and pay childcare. We assess the individual as a whole to eliminate barriers that prevent people from working. If we have someone that has not worked in awhile and has no resume We have a service called Alaska’s People that sits with people to make resumes and assist in job searching and filling out applications. If we are working with individuals that may have OCS involvement we refer them to Child and Family services for parenting support. If we have someone that has a barrier due to substance use or abuse we have recovery services onsite to do a substance abuse assessment. If we find we are working with someone that may present with a barrier or cannot identify the barrier to employment we can refer to a barriers assessment that does in depth assessment and provide diagnosis for assistance in helping this person along with the case.
This sounds like a fascinating program and I would love to learn more about it!
Within my organization, we primarily serve the Alaska Native population. But for my specific grant program, we serve a the entire community based primarily on individuals being deemed low income. Participants of this program come from many different backgrounds and present different challenges prior to starting work on completing their goals. Younger individuals who are just starting their careers or some who are later in life and wishing to start a journey of developing a career for themselves.
Along the way, they are eligible for supportive services that will provide them with aid in completed required classes and trainings that they are signed up for. A large majority of these supports are provided by our agency. Supports that provide support with computers and other necessary technologies, as well as supports that will help with basic life necessities. We access or send referrals to outside resources, when needed or when there is a support we cannot provide. Every case is different and it is always important to sit with all participants and discuss what needs have to be immediately met.
Excellent program you have in your community, It is very satisfactory to be able to provide different services to our clients and help them reach their goals.
I agree with the fact that being able to provide all the necessary resources is the key to get our participants involved and excited about wanting to do something better for themselves. Sometimes its hard to get them started but if we can provide any necessary means to help them out it will give them a bit of motivation. Knowing what community resources are available is also a key factor for us the case workers.
In our small border town with a population of approximately 20,000 I have identified that the majority of our clients are Hispanic with Mexican roots. Most of our clients only speak Spanish, we are very fortunate to have bilingual staff at our office that are always willing to help and assist clients with their needs. We also have the luxury of having technology that can be very useful to translate in other languages or for persons who have disabilities. It is imperative to have “cultural responsivity” as culturally responsive requires openness to the viewpoints, thoughts and experiences of others and to always maintain a high level of respect for all cultural groups.
We have the right recourses in our town and Although the community is Hispanic they take a chance on learning, and are willing to take on a course or training, I believe we are fortunate to be able to help our clients in everyway possible and see them succeed in their life goals.
I think that it is great that you have the technology to help with translation when working with clients. At a previous job, I worked with many people that spoke different languages and the language line we used sometimes lacked in the languages that were offered. Having that technology must put clients at ease knowing that there are people really trying to help them and be supportive.
Being a child of Spanish speaking parents and from a border town where it was all about mining and some farming which they needed not to speak English and some would find a way to be understood. I have found it how important it is to have training and skills in life. The people that visit our office today have a background of being new to our country and city looking to seeking any kind of service. The Hispanics culture in our community is huge most of them are from across the border and cross daily for work. They all do have a language barrier with little or no training skills. As an employee with Arizona @ Work I have seen many people go through our current programs, which are, Youth Program, Adult Education, Career Services, Employment Services, Dislocated workers to name a few. As I patiently and respectfully hear there needs I do my best to help them in anyway possible and find a good starting point for them. The most important part for me is that everyone that comes through our door is greeted properly, get them registered for one of our programs and most importantly serviced each of them with respect.
This organization works exclusively with Native Americans, and primarily with Native Alaskan participants. This population stems from several different regions in Alaska. Resources for these individuals include Tribal TANF, General Assistance, 477 Supportive Services, and multiple housing organizations including Cook Inlet Housing Authority, and Alaska Housing Finance Corp.
Its great to know Alaska has all these resources for their participants. Being able to provide all the resources and necessary information is the key to getting people served as needed.
I work for a company that serves the Alaska Native and American Indian population that is low income. Participants that I work with come from all different backgrounds. Many participant experience domestic violence, I would refer those individuals to our local domestic violence shelters. Our agency offers GED services, recovery services, we work with housing agencies throughout the community. There are many individuals that have not worked in a long period of time or need help with resume building/job searching, when this is the case we refer our participants to our Alaskas People department. There are many resources within our agency and within our community that depending on our participants needs we can provide referrals to.
What a wonderful cross-section of our country that is represented in these conversations. I am struck by the diversity of those y’all serve but also by the fact that there are a lot of commonalities even within our diverse populations. I love it and I appreciate every and all efforts made to make positive impacts, reduce barriers, and position individuals and families for success in our communities.
Our program serves a small tight knit, rural, border community, composed of 80 percent Hispanics or Latinos. Within this highly dominant population we still serve a multicultural population as we encounter clients from diverse backgrounds.
Some clients may encounter barriers based on religion, others on family expectations and responsibilities as sole providers. We serve monolingual clients which must demonstrate English proficiency in order to successfully complete secondary education or vocational training. We serve clients with socioeconomic barriers, as well as clients that do not have the desire to change or pursue a different career due to the lack of empowerment. We serve clients that may be bilingual, but do not have spousal or family support to pursue training and or create a career path. Lastly, we also serve clients with criminal backgrounds.
Even though our program includes supportive service to assist with some barriers, we partner with many community resources and are continuously networking to ensure that we have potential solutions and or adequate assistance to help our participants overcome other identified barriers. Our service delivery includes a referral system to validate that the participant is seeking the necessary assistance to be successful.
It is interesting to me that even within a small rural border community that there is such diversity in backgrounds and family support. This diversity stood out to me in Chapter 6 and to now see in its reality is eye opening! It would also be interesting to understand more about how you empower your clients who do not have the desire to change or pursue a different career path. I am sure it would be incredibly helpful for me and the clients I serve.
We are located in a small border town just two minutes away from Nogales Sonora, Mexico. About 80% of our population is Hispanic or Latino. The majority of our clients only speak and understand Spanish. With that being said, I think the most important resource we possess is our bilingual staff. We can provide services immediately without having to wait for a translator to be able to provide services. Another resource we have is our computers in our resource room which are fully equipped to translate all pages to other languages. We have a Family Literacy program which is specifically designed to assist English Language Learners. Another resource we have is our title IV. Title IV is a program specifically for people with disabilities. The program helps anyone with a documented disability to prepare for, enter, or retain employment. We also have our Title l which provides training to low income individuals. Title I assist youth, adults, and dislocated workers. Last but not least we have our Title lll which provides employment services. For example, creating resumes, applying for employment, and providing information on the open positions in our county. The main goal in our office is for our clients to be able to overcome their barriers and develop the necessary tools needed to become successfully employed.
Wow, after reading this, I was so inspired by the services that you all are able to provide to your service populations. I think that is so wonderful that you have bilingual staff who are readily able to communicate with your major service population to give the support and services that they deserve. This was very insightful to read and shows promising hope for the future that we can continue to find out what works best to provide service to our people who are most in need.
I currently work with inner city youth. Through assessment and interviewing, I have learned that a majority of our youth will be the first in their families to graduate from college if they so choose to pursue college. I have also learned that a number of our youth are really interested in entrepreneurship and entering the workforce right after graduating from high school. The resources I have used to connect with students is through social media and their preferred method of contact. The method of contact is so important i.e. preferring phone vs email or vice versa or surprisingly a phone call versus a text (and group text is a cardinal sin). It is critically important to also involve members of the business community (small business owners especially) in providing our students with work experiences that will help them explore their career interests to ultimately determine if this is the direction they will take upon graduating from high school. Other resources include career planning activities that can be delivered as a game, for example, creating ‘would you rather’ questions to open a discussion about appropriate work attire, time management and/or self-advocacy.
Reflecting on my role as a service provider, our main services population consists of Alaska Native and American Indians only. This specific group comes with a vast history that is rich in culture, traditions, native language, values, beliefs, norms, and views that are unique to their heritage. Working for CITC, I mainly use the resources that are “in house”. I utilize Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation for any one of my participants, whom I work with, who may be experiencing a cognitive or physical disability. This allows for a partnership in helping participants gain and maintain employment. Also, I utilize the Alaska Native Justice Center for participants who have criminal records and who have to apply for a variance to gain employment. Also, this resource assists with reentry for offenders. It also provides services for DV assault victims and survivors, among other services. Also, I refer participant to our internal Youth Services program. We partner together to aid our youth with financial assistance, supportive services, life skills, advocacy, case management. This system of partnership allows for us to provide wrap around services to our participants who are working towards their self-sufficiency goals. Here, I have highlighted only a few of the services that I utilize within CITC, but there are many others that I have not listed. Lastly, I utilize our local 211 to aid with participants needing services that are not provided by CITC. This helps supplement the needs of the community that are unmet by CITC.
We live in a very small rural border community with Mexico. The majority of our participants are from hispanic backgrounds. Being such a small town we deal with people who speak very little english, Do not have the necessary soft skills, or may not even be fortunate enough to be able to turn on a computer. Because of their upbring, or maybe there faith they sometimes let there pride not ask for help. Our Job Center is able to provide people with the necessary skills to get trained, attend English Classes, get the necessary soft skills. We have the available bi-lingual staff where they are able to be seen on the spot without having to wait for a translator. Our goal is to help those who need that little push in life to get them to a place where they feel they are working hard to get what is necessary for life.