Facebook's latest diversity strategy? Talking to moms and dads

The world’s largest social network, Facebook, has a new plan to tackle the tech industry’s lack of diversity: go after parents. Its latest initiative, TechPrep by Facebook, tries to get more students into the computer science and engineering pipeline by arming parents with basic resources to encourage their children in that direction.

The initiative takes the form of a bilingual website (available in English and Spanish) that explains to parents what computer programming is and the career opportunities available to those in the tech industry. It also provides information on the years of study required and starting salary comparisons. According to Facebook’s global director of diversity, Maxine Williams, the company decided to pursue the project because data from advisory firm McKinsey & Co. showed that parents and guardians are top motivators in Latino and black communities, but lack of access and exposure to computer science know-how often served as a barrier to entry. Through TechPrep, Facebook is hoping to create a more inclusive pipeline that will, in time, enter the tech workforce.