The Future of Environmental Diversity

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The Future of Environmental Diversity
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AGENDA

• Identify the major demographic changes in the
  United States
  
• Examine the educational attainment levels of
  these diverse populations
  
• Predict the workforce of tomorrow
• Implement a plan of action

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Demographic Shifts
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Changing Demographics

• The United States Population will experience
  major demographic changes over the next six
  decades
  
• Population Increases
• Hispanic
• Asian-Pacific Islander
• African American
• Native Americans
• Population Decreases
• White Non-Hispanic Population

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2000 Census Highlights

• Between July 1, 1990 and July 1, 1999
• The Asian and Pacific Islander population grew
  43 to 11.9 million
  
• Hispanic Population grew 57.9 to 35.3
  million.
  
• White population increased 7.3 to 211
  million.
  
• Black Population remained the countrys largest
  minority group, experiencing a 13.8 rise to
  34.8 million.
  
• American Indian and Alaska Native population
  increased 110 to 4.13 million.
  
• Source U.S. Census Bureau, January 2001

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Current Population
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Population Estimates1995 - 2000
Source Population Estimates, US Census Bureau,
August 2000
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Population Projections

• By the year 2020, our population will be
  326,000,000, an increase of 24. 
  
• Hispanics will surpass Blacks as the largest
  minority by 2015. 
  
• By 2025 Hispanics will account for 15.7 of the
  USs total population, compared to 13.9 Black,
  and 7.0 Asian
  
• Native Americans will double in number. 
• The Asian population will grow fastest in all
  regions of the country.
  

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Population Estimates2006 - 2010
Source Population Estimates, US Census Bureau,
August 2000
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Key Points

• No matter how Race and Hispanic Origin is
  tabulated, it is clear that the next century will
  experience major demographic shifts.
  
• Because our nations labor force will be
  increasingly comprised of people of color, it is
  in the best interest of employers that ethnic
  minorities are achieving at every academic and
  professional level
• Significant gaps exist in the educational
  attainment levels of Non-Hispanic Whites and
  People of Color
  

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Educational Attainment
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High School Completion

• During the last 20 years, African Americans and
  Hispanics ages 18-24 have improved their high
  school completion rates. However, these rates
  continue to trail that of Non-Hispanic Whites.
• The gap between high school completion for whites
  and African Americans was 8 percentage points.
  Between Whites and Hispanics, high school
  completion rates were more than 20 percentage
  points.
• In 1997, high school completion rates for African
  Americans declined for a 3rd consecutive year to
  74.7
  
• Hispanics high school completion rates increased
  to 62

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College Enrollment

• A record 14.9 million students enrolled in
  colleges and universities last fall, according to
  the U.S. Department of Education. The figure is
  up from 14.7 million in 1998 and represents an
  increase of 10 over the last decade.
• Enrollment in institutions of higher education is
  expected to rise between 1996 and the year 2008.
  
• The most important factor in the projected rise
  of college enrollment is the projected increase
  of 18 in the traditional college-age population
  of 18 to 24-year-olds. (Baby Boom Echo)
• The 18 to 24-year-old population is projected to
  increase 18 by the year 2008.

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Projections of College Enrollment 1998-2009
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
August 1999
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College Enrollment

• Undergraduate enrollment is projected to increase
  at an annual growth rate of 1.0 during the
  1996-2002 period and 1.2 during the 2002-2008
  period.
• Full Time Enrollment will increase by 19
• Part Time Enrollment will increase by 11
• Demographic Shifts
• 1979 Students of Color comprised only 16 of
  total college students
  
• 2000 Students of Color comprised 31 of total
  college students

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Diversity In Higher Education

• According to a report by the Educational Testing
  Service, over the next 15 years, enrollment at
  American colleges will increase 19 , to 16
  million, and minority students will account for
  80 percent of that growth.
• The proportion of students who are Black will
  rise from 12.8 in 1995 to 13.2 by 2015
  
• Hispanic student participation will rise from 10
  to about 15
  
• Asian student participation will rise from 5.4
  to 8.4 .
  
• Non-Hispanic White student participation will
  decline from 71 to 63 during the same
  period.
  

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Students of Color in Environmental Programs

• The number of students of color pursuing
  environmentally related degrees relative to their
  total proportion is increasing, although slowly.
  
• From 1987 to 1997 there was a 10 increase of
  students of color earning environmentally related
  bachelors degrees.
  
• Hispanic, African, Asian and Native American
  students made up 23 of those receiving
  bachelors degrees in environmentally related
  disciplines, compared to their total population
  representation of 28

Source U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, August 1999

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Minority Students Receiving Environmental
Bachelors Degrees
19
People of Color with Environmental Bachelors
Degrees
Source U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, August 1999

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Minority Students Receiving Environmental
Masters Degrees 1997
Source U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, August 1999
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Minority Students Receiving Environmental
Masters Degrees 1997
Source U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, August 1999
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From Academia To Careers

• Despite the educational gains that have been made
  by students of color, as well as the closing of
  the gap between minority students and their White
  counterparts, there remains a critical lack of
  minority students in environmentally-related
  fields of study.
• Although it is uncertain what factors influence
  students of color to pursue and environmental
  degree, the relatively small growth in the
  diverse environmental professionals over the
  past decade indicates that greater intervention
  and exposure to the field is necessary in order
  to generate interest.

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The Environmental Workforce
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The Environmental Field Will Experience Modest
Growth over the Next Decade
Source The Hudson Institute. Workforce 2000
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Significant Sources of Career Preparation
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Composition of American Workforce by Ethnic
Group, Percent 1995-2020 (Projected)
Sources Bureau of Labor Statistics projections
to 2005
Hudson Institute projections 2010-2020
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Workforce Trends

• The nations workforce will continue to become
  more ethnically diverse.
  
• Non-Hispanics Whites will still account for 68
  of the workforce in 2020.
  
• In Western states, though, diversification will
  be more significant, as the Hispanic and Asian
  populations and workforce rise rapidly.
  
• Because economic growth depends on worker
  productivity, the educational attainments of
  todays students raise an important concern for
  tomorrows workforce.
• Educational levels need to be raised for all, but
  the continuing disparities between white and
  minority students presents major challenges.
  
• The dismantling of affirmative action in
  California, Texas, Washington and Florida could
  contribute to lower enrollments of minority
  populations and public colleges and
  universities.

Source The Hudson Institute. Workforce 2000
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Workforce Trends

• Limited Growth in Environmental Field creates
  competition for relatively small number of jobs
  
• Without prior work experience, as well as
  exposure to the profession, it will be extremely
  difficult for students of color to find
  meaningful employment in the environmental field
• Thousands of Professionals of Color are likely to
  migrate to faster growing industries unless
  opportunities are created which can attract them
  to the environmental field

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Opportunities
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WHAT KIND OF ISSUE IS DIVERSITY FOR YOUR
ORGANIZATION?

• Access
• Equity
• Mission/Values
• Rewards
• Incentives
• Response to a Mandate
• Non-Issue
• By Choice
• Lack of Awareness

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WHAT KIND OF ISSUE CAN DIVERSITY BE FOR YOUR
ORGANIZATION?

• Mentoring
• Broadening of core competencies
• Greater outreach to communities of color
• Stimulus for learning in a cross-cultural
  environment
  
• Mission Re-vitalization

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Impacting the Field

• Empowering a diverse workforce expands the
  capacity of the environmental field.
  
• Creating opportunities makes an organization both
  accessible and marketable to employees and
  communities of color.
  
• Communities, in turn, will expand the scope and
  the capacity of the organization.
  

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Next Steps

• Define what Diversity is for you and your
  organization
  
• Create an assessment plan to determine what role
  diversity currently plays in your organization.
  
• Develop a sense of social ethics and social
  responsibility.
  
• Commit resources
• Mentor multiple interns.

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For More Information

• Michael Ho
• Diversity Associate
• The Environmental Careers Organization
• Michaelh_at_eco.org