Women’s Share of U.S. Computing Workforce Declining, but Interventions Could Triple the Pipeline by 2025, According to Rese...
October 20 2016 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
The share of women in the U.S. computing workforce will decline
from 24 percent to 22 percent by 2025, according to new research
from Accenture (NYSE:ACN) and Girls Who Code. But interventions to
encourage girls to pursue a computer science education could triple
the number of women in computing to 3.9 million, growing their
share of technology jobs from 24 percent today to 39 percent in the
same timeframe.
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Cracking the Gender Code measured how the factors influencing
girls’ pursuit of computer sciences change at each stage of their
education and recommends a more tailored and sequenced series of
actions starting in junior high school and sustained through high
school and college. These actions could not only increase the
pipeline of women to 3.9 million by 2025, but also boost women’s
cumulative earnings by $299 billion.
“Despite unprecedented attention and momentum behind the push
for universal computer science education, the gender gap in
computing is getting worse,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO
of Girls Who Code. “The message is clear: a one-size-fits-all model
won’t work. This report is a rallying cry to invest in programs and
curricula designed specifically for girls. We need a new mindset
and willingness to prioritize and focus on our nation’s girls, and
we need it now.”
The demand for computing skills far outstrips supply, plaguing
U.S. employers with a talent shortage. In 2015, there were more
than 500,000 open computing jobs to be filled in the U.S. but fewer
than 40,000 new computer science graduates to fill them. The
untapped potential of women to fill these roles has vast
implications for U.S competitiveness.
“Dramatically increasing the number of women in computing is
critical to closing the computer science skills gap facing every
business in today’s digital economy,” said Julie Sweet, Accenture’s
group chief executive – North America. “Without action, we risk
leaving a large portion of our country’s talent on the sidelines of
the high-value computing jobs that are key to U.S. innovation and
competitiveness.”
Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology officer, added,
“Current workforce projections are troubling and demand a new
strategy to encourage more girls to pursue technology careers. We
must inspire girls at every stage – from the first time they put a
mobile phone in their hands to when they graduate college – to
believe that they can create the next big thing and help change the
world in the process.”
Recommendations for Cracking the Gender Code
The research included a large-scale survey of girls aged 12-18,
undergraduate college students, and key influencers to
understand the state of girls’ interest in computing at each stage
of their education. Using the survey findings, the research
identified actions to reversing the projected decline of women in
technology, including:
1. Spark interest in junior high. Today’s junior high
school girls have the potential to fill 1.6 million extra computing
positions by 2025 – twice the potential of high school and college
girls combined. Greater guidance from parents and teachers can show
girls that computing is cool, fun and a means to realize their
aspirations, not just a pursuit for boys. One recommendation:
Boosting girls’ hands-on experience through computer games
specifically designed for girls.
2. Sustain engagement in high school. The high school
years tend to be a time of high risk, where girls fall into the
“high school trap,” losing interest in computing and never
returning. Among the interventions is summer camp where girls study
computing with their female friends. The research found that 81
percent of high school girls who studied computing over the summer
were interested in studying it at college, compared to 52 percent
who only studied computing at school.
3. Inspire a career after college. While the college
years are critical to exposing women to career opportunities, the
research found that the door to computing never closes, as girls
can learn computer science skills post-college even if they’ve had
no previous formal education. In fact, more than half the women
working in computing profiled in the research didn’t major in
computer science in college. One recommendation: Offer all
undergraduates, not just computing/tech majors, on-campus and
summer immersion programs in computing/coding.
Methodology
Accenture and Girls Who Code carried out in-depth ethnographies
and focus groups to identify issues, drivers, barriers and
perceptions among girls aged 12-18, undergraduates, young workers,
parents and teachers. Using the findings of the qualitative study,
we then interviewed more than 8,000 individuals to validate and
quantify those results.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest
delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business
and technology to help clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately
384,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries,
Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and
lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Girls Who Code:
Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization working to
close the gender gap in technology. Through its Summer Immersion
Program and Girls Who Code Clubs, the organization is leading the
movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the
computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Additional
information is available at www.girlswhocode.com.
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AccentureStacey Jones, + 1
917-452-6561stacey.jones@accenture.comorRachel Frey, + 1
917-452-4421rachel.frey@accenture.comorGirls Who CodeDeborah
Singer, + 1 314-762-7477deborah@girlswhocode.com
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