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In keeping with its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM fields, in 2022 Freudenberg became a Board of Corporate Affiliates sponsor for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in the United States.
NSBE creates platforms for Black STEM professionals to form valuable connections through collaboration and knowledge sharing strategies. These connections focus on building talent from the early stages of their careers to leaders in their field.
In August 2022, a group of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) associates represented the Technology Group at the NSBE Personal Development Conference in Miami, Florida where more than 500 professional engineers and corporate sponsors from across the U.S. gathered. The representatives from Freudenberg included Sebrina Hicks, DEI Talent Acquisition Specialist, and Hadley Totty, Business Unit Manager.
“I met engineers from various cultures and countries with a wide range of skill sets. In most conversations, they were receptive to want to know more about FST and how we could establish strong relationships. I hope our partnership with NSBE will continue to show Freudenberg’s commitment to being an Inclusion Innovator,” says Hicks, DEI Talent Acquisition Specialist.
In 2023, Freudenberg associates will attend the NSBE National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri and represent the company at a career fair.
Why this initiative matters?
According to data from the Pew Research Center, Black workers make up nine percent of STEM jobs in the United States but 11 percent of the overall workforce. Comparatively, Hispanic workers represent just eight percent of STEM jobs but 17 percent of the overall workforce. Meanwhile, 67 percent of the STEM workforce in the U.S. is made up of white workers but white workers comprise 63 percent of the overall workforce in the U.S.
Picture: Hadley Totty on the left, Business Unity Manager, FST – LaGrange, Georgia and Sebrina Hicks, DEI Talent Acquisition Specialist, FST, – Plymouth, Michigan