For six months last year, Eric Browne tried to find a qualified minority to fill a project engineer vacancy at ProJDel Corp., a small construction management firm in Finneytown.

        The job requires high-level math and science skills, and the pool of candidates was almost nil.

Kroger employee Ebony Bass

        “We like to make sure our organization is diverse,” Mr. Browne said. “But when I seek to find African-American employees, it's tough.”

        Mr. Browne's problem could worsen in years to come as the demand for qualified minority professionals far outstrips the supply.

        Data released this week show that minority elementary and high school students trail far behind white students on Ohio tests in reading, math and science.

        Some educators and business leaders say that gap could mean a critical shortage of qualified minority professionals in the future.

        “It doesn't take complicated mathematics to determine that if college participation doesn't change, we won't have enough skilled workers,” said William Kirwan, president of Ohio State University.

        Mr. Kirwan co-chaired a coalition of 70 top corporate CEOs and university presidents who convened in 1999 to discuss the importance of racial and ethnic diversity to the nation's future.

IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

A coalition of business CEOs and university presidents in a January report said the nation faces a social and economic crisis unless racial and ethnic diversity is achieved in the workplace. Among recommendations:     • Support and strengthen programs to teach students the value of higher education, how to apply for college and how to obtain scholarships.     • Provide resources to prepare teachers to work with racially and ethnically diverse students.     • Advocate that colleges and universities consider qualities of student applicants beyond their test scores.     • Encourage corporate foundations to support diversity initiatives.     • Urge national policy makers to increase funding of federal education grants for students.    Source: “Investing in People: Developing All of America's Talent on Campus and in the Workplace,” by the Business-Higher Education Forum.

        The coalition's report, released in January, pointed out that the minority population nationally has grown by 35 percent in the past decade and makes up a larger portion of the work force pool.

        Yet minorities lag behind white students in getting college degrees. In 1998, 15.8 percent of African-Americans 25-29 had completed four or more years of college. For whites, the rate was 28.4 percent.

        By 2028, there will be 19 million more jobs than workers prepared to fill them, according to the study by the Business-Higher Education Forum. About 40 percent of the people available to fill the jobs will be minorities.

        Student poverty, social problems, school quality and low expectations all share the blame.

        “I was pigeonholed,” said Ebony Bass, 24, a University of Cincinnati student. “I am a very intelligent person but I was not expected to go on in school. Only one counselor helped me.”

        Ms. Bass said she was discouraged in high school from enrolling in Inroads, a nonprofit that trains talented minorities for careers in business and industry.

        She enrolled anyway.

        After two internships at a bank, Ms. Bass landed an internship at Kroger Co. She credits math, science and job-seeking skills she acquired through Inroads.

        Today she works part time in Kroger's e-mail services.

        The Business-Higher Education Forum says businesses, colleges, schools and legislators need to encourage diversity programs and programs to teach students the importance of higher education.

        Sue Taylor, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President, agrees: “There are things teachers can do to help, but teachers alone cannot do enough to solve the achievement gap.”

        Sheila Adams, president of the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, said businesses have launched positive initiatives, including the partnership Cincinnati Bell has with Taft High School to outfit the school with information technology equipment. But she said more needs to be done.

        Ms. Adams serves on a commission formed by Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken after the April riots. Its goal is to provide greater equity, opportunity and inclusion for all. Called Cincinnati Community Action Now (CAN), the group said in November the city needs employers to hire under-skilled people for craft-oriented jobs, provide mentoring and training and address inner-city workers' transportation needs to outlying jobs.

        Mr. Browne, the small business owner, said he tries to do his part by recruiting minority professionals. Each of his employees is also required to volunteer in the community.

        “Society needs to do more,” he said. “A lot of it is about educating minorities about opportunities in the workplace.”

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