Though great strides have been made by companies like CodeREV, and great gains have been shown, there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to getting girls involved in tech generally and coding specifically. Computer World recently published an article titled Tech camps for girls: Don’t let your daughter miss out that brings together some alarming stats.
Rebecca Linke writes, “The tech industry has a dearth of female talent. As of 2013, only 26% of technology jobs were held by women, according to a review by the American Association of University Women. After peaking in the early ’80s, the percentage of computer science bachelor’s degrees received by U.S. women has steadily declined.
With the growing skills shortage in certain key areas, enticing more women into technology can only help the field as a whole. Patricia Barber helps lead Girls in Technology, which offers a mentoring program for girls interested in pursuing careers in STEM. “Research suggests that for the tech jobs that are going to be available in the future, there isn’t going to be enough talent to fill those positions unless women and girls became involved,” she says.
In Massachusetts, a high-tech mecca, women held only around 26.5% of tech jobs in 2014, a slight drop from 2007, according to a new study from the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. Workforce diversity in Silicon Valley isn’t much better.
Monica Eaton-Cardone, founder and CIO of Global Risk Technologies, agrees. “To change this, women need to be encouraged to follow their interests and need to be educated on the growing potential of STEM careers,” she says.
One way to achieve this change is to get girls involved in STEM fields from an early age, and a growing number of programs across the country aim to do just that. Summer is just around the corner, and while offerings such as MIT’s Women’s Technology Program and Girls Who Code’s summer immersion program are filled, a few programs are still accepting applications. Read more about them, below.”
Of course we agree with their great idea of getting girls involved in STEM fields as early as possible. That’s why CodeREV offers a variety of classes, including a tech camp, that shows girls how exciting and rewarding these skills can be. When they get older they’ll be pleased to learn that these skills can be lucrative too!