Millennials are the future of our workforce, and our company. In just two years, the most diverse generation in U.S. history will make up half of the working population. In our overall workforce, 52% of our employees under the age of 35 are people of color.
That makes it more important than ever that employers understand the millennial perspective. Millennials are hyper-connected, used to having everything at their fingertips, and looking for jobs that make a positive impact on the world. As a media and technology leader with an unwavering commitment to inclusion, we see ourselves as the ideal employer for the millennial generation — and we want them to see it too.
It’s very important we understand what millennials value most in their employers. I’ve found that they truly see diversity as a differentiator in where they want to work, and it is key to our competitive advantage.
One way we do that is by engaging and recruiting millennials through our college campus visits and our partnerships with universities that represent diverse student talent. In 2017, we launched our first class of Comcast NBCUniversal Student Ambassadors, a hand-selected group of undergraduates from diverse schools, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), who help us raise awareness of our employer brand, D&I initiatives, and products on their campuses. These Student Ambassadors received hands-on experience in marketing, event planning and promotion, as well as one-of-a-kind exposure to Comcast NBCUniversal leaders. We’ve now expanded the program to additional colleges and universities in our footprint.
Additionally, technology is a key component of the millennial skill set, and we need to do our part to ensure that a diverse group of professionals is thriving on our technology teams. For example, 75% of the hires in our 2017 technology leadership development program were women and nearly half were people of color — both well above our aspirational goals. We also offer the NBCUniversal Page Program, which has become one of the most coveted entry-level jobs in our industry, and a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment.
Through all of these efforts and more, we aim to attract and connect diverse, early-career talent to our business to enable awesome experiences that enhance our business, today and into the future.
