Communications of the ACM
Do We Need a Title Ix For STEM Workers?
One suggestion for closing the gender gap in the IT profession is legislation along the lines of Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 which banned gender discrimination in education.
Credit: IWPR.org
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget's Lisa Schlosser thinks a measure along the lines of Title IX may be necessary to close the gender gap in the IT profession.
"I'd just challenge us all to think...is there something like [Title IX] that we really need to promote so that we can get more folks into technology early?" Schlosser suggested during a panel discussion at the annual FOSE government information technology (IT) conference.
She and fellow panelists stressed the need for gender diversification of the IT workforce, citing recent estimates that women only hold about 25 percent of all IT jobs. Panelists suggested other ways besides Title IX-like legislation that businesses could use to boost recruitment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Expanding the understanding of where STEM degrees are applicable is one possible starting point, and IBM's Anne Altman suggested businesses take a more active role with schools in positioning technical education as an entry point into a fulfilling career in whatever field inspires students. Part of that effort could involve grassroots support to expand business' presence in schools, while Amazon Web Services' Teresa Carlson advocated curriculum reform to require cultivating programming skills at an early age.
From CIO
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2014 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found