T.D. Jakes Foundation Weekly Updates – August 23, 2021

August 23, 2021

We want to serve as a resource.  To keep you abreast of critical issues dominating the national discourse—including diversity, equity and inclusion; the digital divide; STEAM education; entrepreneurship and small business—we’re compiling timely news and information in one place because the first step to fixing a problem is understanding it.

T.D. Jakes Foundation in Action

With the launch of the PATHWAY program, we’re talking to some of the exceptional candidates in our Skills Database. For our third profile, we spoke to Badiana Osabutey, who is looking to merge her skills and experience in nursing with her educational background. She aspires to work in a C-suite role like chief quality officer in a hospital or health-care setting. Read about Badiana here.

Joseph is one of the early success stories from the PATHWAY program. We’re so proud to have helped put Joseph on his pathway to success as a UX designer. Watch his story here.

Last week Hattie Hill, President & CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, joined Travis Gill, Assistant Vice President – Institutional Equity & Access at UT Southwestern Medical Center, on Good Morning Texas to talk about the launch of the PATHWAY Program and what job seekers need to know as they work through the recruiting and hiring process. Watch their interview here.

The T.D. Jakes Foundation has officially launched the PATHWAY program and its Virtual Hiring Platform, a 365 days-a-year program connecting job candidates to corporations actively recruiting diverse talent. We encourage people at all stages in their careers, from entry-level candidates and recent college graduates to experienced job seekers and advanced-degree holders to become part of the program! Visit our website to learn more and submit your information and connect with companies looking for diverse talent!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

D CEO will host its third annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Symposium to answer questions following the George Floyd protests such as, Have hiring practices changed? Do all the new chief equity officers have the power to shift culture? What more needs to be done? Read more about the event here.

The lessons already learned from the pandemic tell us that DE&I may now recede as a strategic priority in most organizations. And one can’t blame a company’s leaders for that. It may be largely unintentional. Most companies will have to focus on more pertinent needs like adapting to new ways of working, consolidating the workforce capacity and maintaining productivity. However, companies relegating DE&I to the back burner may be at risk of placing themselves at a disadvantage. Read more in Forbes.

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices in company culture have a direct impact on trust capital, a crucial factor in enhancing engagement and performance, especially in a hybrid and diverse workplace. A key aspect of organizational culture is inculcating a mindset that fosters D&I. Mint Lounge has some best practices to build and retain D&I in the remote workplace.

STEAMing Ahead