Senate Resolution No. 62 BY: Senator PARKER MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 12, 2023, as Women of Color in Tech Day in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official days that are set aside to increase awareness of the importance of improving gender and racial/ethnic diversity in the New York State technology sector; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 12, 2023, as Women of Color in Tech Day in the State of New York; and WHEREAS, Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, NPower has a proven tech-workforce training model which serves approximately 1,300 young adults, ages 18-25 each year; and WHEREAS, The goal of this vital initiative is to improve gender and racial/ethnic diversity in the tech pipeline, especially for women of color by launching Women of Color in Tech Day, and a coalition to increase the representation and retention of young women of color in New York State's technology sector; and WHEREAS, Women of Color in Tech Day is an annual day of information distribution, recruitment, training and job placement; the nearly 6 million jobs expected to require tech skills in the future, currently project only 3.2 million in the candidate pool; and WHEREAS, The technology sector in New York is growing fast and the jobs pay considerably higher wages than what can be found in other industries; and WHEREAS, Encouraging Women of Color in Tech will build respect, dignity, fairness, equity and self-esteem for women; it will also provide critical economic advantages to women of color who may not have had access to traditional paths into technology jobs; and WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful efforts of coalitions that unite for the cause of improving the quality of life for others, and that proactively work toward the goal of equality for all; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 12, 2023, as Women of Color in Tech Day; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York.