Gov. Walz and Minnesota Businesses Take Action to Close the Unemployment Gap that People of Color Experience by Signing On to New Hiring and Career Advancement Platform

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN, July 29, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Rae Mackenzie Group, Inc. releases the Charter Equity Hiring & Advancement Partners (EHAPs) for the highly anticipated People Of Color Careers™ proprietary hiring and career advancement program and platform, scheduled to launch Oct. 2020.

The Charter members have come together to ensure that Black professionals and other Professionals of Color have equitable access to career and advancement opportunities. By signing on early, Charter partners are opening new pathways for People of Color of varying levels of professional experience to have direct, meaningful contact with hiring managers and recruiters in a way they've never had before. Careers™ will be a one-stop hub for Professionals of Color to browse current openings and advancement opportunities, apply to careers, access career development content, and communicate with hiring managers and recruiters directly on the platform.

"It's time for all Professionals of Color to have the chance to display their greatness in a space where they can actually get noticed, where employers are paying attention to them," said Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, CEO of Rae Mackenzie Group and Founder of People Of Color Careers™. "The Charter Equitable Hiring & Advancement Partners have pledged to devote their time and resources to the Careers™ program to grow their talent pipelines. It's no longer acceptable to hear companies say 'we can't find Professionals of Color' because we have done the work and created the space for them to do just that."

"By becoming Charter members, these corporations are committing to meaningful change," said Governor Walz. "People of Color must have equal opportunities to thrive. That starts with equal access to career advancement possibilities. This program will play a critical role in advancing equity in the workforce."

The following corporations have answered the call for recruitment and income equity by becoming People of Color Careers™ Charter EHAPs: Andersen Windows & Doors, U.S. Bank, Thrivent, and Midco.

Midco President & CEO Pat McAdaragh added, "People of Color Careers™ is going to completely change the way we think and go about recruiting, hiring, and advancing Black professionals. As business leaders, we must do more to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces—and get it right. This platform eliminates the tired excuse of not knowing where to go to find top Talent of Color. It really boils down to one question: are you committed to hiring and promoting Black professionals or not?"

People Of Color Careers™ is not a job site, but rather a solution to the problem that Professionals of Color face of not having exposure and access to decision makers in charge of hiring and promoting. People Of Color Careers™ brings the professionals and employers together, allowing them to find each other in a way that they wouldn't have been able to before. Careers™ closes the barrier of distance that prevents connections from being made.

"Together we will take action – and invest in long-term change – to help address racism, discrimination and economic insecurity," said Terry Rasmussen, President & CEO of Thrivent. "We understand that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color receive disproportionately less mentorship, growth opportunities and advancement in the American workplace. We will ensure this is not the case at Thrivent, and we are partnering with People Of Color Careers™ as one way to address this important issue."

Present on the Careers™ platform will be quality candidates possessing a breadth of education, experience, and expertise, held back not by their qualifications, but by their lack of access. From college grads looking to launch promising careers to professionals with years of invaluable practical experience to managers skilled at leading teams to executive-level practitioners looking to occupy the C-suite, the professionals represented will be from a myriad of backgrounds. People Of Color Careers™ proprietary platform is positioned to be a resource for any company, regardless of industry.

Jay Lund, Chairman & CEO of Andersen Windows & Doors, is proud that Andersen can be counted amongst those leading change by becoming a charter member. "We need long-term strategies to address the underlying issues that have reinforced systemic racism and inequity for generations," Lund said. "Andersen is committed to attracting, recruiting, and retaining talented People of Color at all levels of our company, measuring our progress, and holding ourselves accountable. People Of Color Careers™ will help us drive change and break down long-standing equity barriers on a scale that will tip the balance in a meaningful way."

The platform is currently anticipated to release on Oct. 20, 2020. Professionals of Color will be able to begin populating profiles as soon as Sep. 1, 2020 to give them a chance to include all of the necessary information to create a robust profile so that they get noticed and get hired.

"Minnesota has experienced a much-needed wake-up call," said Jonathan Weinhagen, President & CEO of Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce. "The challenges our region faces regarding equitable access for Black people and People of Color are more apparent than ever. We need to face reality – we have missed the mark. Working together, we need to change the face of leadership in our private sector businesses. Unconscious and conscious biases and prejudices have created impediments to systemic change.

"People Of Color Careers™ is a step toward leveling the playing field for Black professionals in our state. The platform gives us a chance to work together and hold ourselves accountable for how we're going to change the employment landscape for Black professionals and other Professionals of Color in a transparent way. Careers™ is a solution, a start to us collectively working to finally close the employment gaps between People of Color and their White counterparts."

Sharon Smith-Akinsanya summed everything up by saying, "Black professionals and other Professionals of Color deserve a chance. Companies often say they are committed to DEI, but are slow to show any initiative. And we all know, what gets measured gets done. That's why our proprietary equity hiring and career advancement platform focuses on reporting tools for employers to measure their efforts. Now those employers who are truly serious about DEI will have a powerful, additional tool for populating their EEO-1 reports and have additional programming to support their Affirmative Action Plans."

Professionals wanting to have their profiles on the Careers™ platform and employers wanting to learn more about becoming an Equity Hiring & Advancement Partner should visit www.peopleofcolorcareers.com for more information, next steps, and to join an interest list to receive important updates.

About Rae Mackenzie Group
Rae Mackenzie Group, Inc. is a diversity, equity, and inclusion marketing firm in Minneapolis, MN, working with top employers on how to position themselves in the marketplace to effectively attract, recruit, and retain Talent of Color.

About Sharon Smith-Akinsanya
Sharon Smith-Akinsanya is the CEO of Rae Mackenzie Group and the Founder of the People Of Color Careers™ program and platform. Sharon is also the author of the upcoming book COLORFULL: Competitive Strategies to Attract and Retain Top Talent of Color (Foreword by Richard Davis, and Afterword by Jay Lund).

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