The National Safety Council, America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate, is on a relentless pursuit of a safer tomorrow. Committed to building a workforce of occupational, safety and health professionals that best reflects the various cultures and ethnicities represented in the U.S. workforce, NSC is launching the Diversity in Safety Scholarship Funded by Chemours. With the aim of fostering diversity and supporting the emergence of a more inclusive generation of safety professionals, five academic scholarships will be awarded to people of color pursing an undergraduate degree at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions to help jumpstart their careers in safety.
“Chemours is committed to championing and advocating for an inclusive, diverse and equitable workforce, and we’re excited to partner with the National Safety Council to launch the Diversity in Safety Scholarship,” said Ron Charles, chief people officer for Chemours. “Safety obsession is a deeply rooted value at Chemours, and we believe that promoting and fostering the next wave of diverse leaders can meaningfully contribute to a safer workplace.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 2022 population survey, 47% of individuals working in construction and extraction and 42% of individuals working in production represent individuals who are Black and Hispanic. Yet for these critical occupations who rely on safety and health specialists for their wellbeing, only 7.6% of safety specialists and technicians in the United States are Black, and 18.2% are Hispanic. What’s more, 2021 BLS data show Hispanic and Latino workers accounted for 22% (1,130) of workplace deaths in 2021, up from 1,072 deaths (23%) in 2020, and marked the fifth straight yearly increase since 2016. Fatal work injuries to Hispanic and Latino workers increased in transportation and material moving, building and grounds cleaning and maintenance, and installation, maintenance and repair occupations.
“Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before. Fostering a community of safety leaders who reflect this diversity is imperative to making our workers safer,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO. “Additionally, increasing the number of diverse safety professionals in workplaces – big and small, local and global – equitably benefits the health, wellbeing and safety of workers everywhere. At NSC, we wholeheartedly believe that and commend Chemours for their investment in safety through this new scholarship, which will support the NSC mission of making people safer and saving lives.”
Applications for the Diversity in Safety Scholarship Funded by Chemours are open Jan. 8 through April 1, 2024. To learn more about all opportunities within the NSC scholarship program, please visit nsc.org/scholarships.