(NNPA)—Black consumers are responding to tighter economic conditions by focusing more of their spending on products and services that improve their homes and lifestyle. That’s one of the trends revealed in the 15th annual report, “The Buying Power of Black America,” published by Target Market News.

From programs and services provided by the Community College of Allegheny County, legislative updates, how to acquire information on obtaining stimulus funding to obtaining financing, assessing current revenue streams and principles to operating a successful business, much information was to be had during the Western Pennsylvania Minority Supplier Development Council Supplier Diversity Town Hall Meeting.

With a special emphasis to help MBEs and corporations focus on the threats and opportunities they will face in 2010, to “adjust their headsets” and provide specific steps to take to grow their businesses, the affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council hosted the event themed—“New Beginnings…Positioning for Success” Feb. 24 at the CCAC Student Services Center Auditorium. Sponsors included CCAC, PNC and RRI Energy, Inc.

SHARING A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE—Addressing issues affecting businesses in today’s economy during the town hall meeting held by the Western Pennsylvania Minority Supplier Development Council were, from left to right: Mark Harrison, Vic Tatum, Craig Bingham, Carl Knoblock, Naomi Moye, Robert Stein and Darrell Freeman.

Spring job fair

MARCH 17—The Community College of Allegheny County will host a Spring Job Fair from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Boyce Campus Student Services Center, 2nd floor, 808 Ridge Ave., North Side. Attendees should dress to impress and bring several copies of their resume. For more information, call 412-237-2545.

(NNPA)—This is the age of high technology. IT companies are leading the way in job growth and high paying jobs as the world does business at the speed of thought. No place else in the world concentrates in this industry better than the Silicon Valley of California (Palo Alto-San Jose area). So with California having a minority population of 52 percent, logic would dictate that this is a place of much diversity and opportunity for Blacks and Hispanics. Sadly, that, according to investigative reporting from the San Jose Mercury News, is not the case. This industry in this location is probably the most segregated and discriminatory place in the United States. The hiring and training by companies like Google, Apple, Yahoo, Oracle, Applied Materials, Hewlett Packard, Cisco and others are acting more like the Ku Klux Klan than a good corporate citizen.