Changing the face of the technology workforce

While the number of women taking on STEM fields is
growing, technology jobs are still male-dominated.

“Studies show that if you ask a female student how she did on a test—without knowing the score—she will say, ‘Oh I did pretty bad,’” said Gokhale. “But if you ask a male student, he would say, ‘Oh I did fine.’ 

The number of technology jobs across the globe is skyrocketing. Studies estimate computing jobs will more than double by 2020, reaching into the millions. Yet underrepresented groups are not finding the paths to jump into the technology boom. Professor of Technology Anu Gokhale is part of an initiative to change that.

Gokhale and Professor Emeritus Kent Machina are helping to spearhead a program to give more high school teachers the credentials to teach computer science. Known as Teacher Education in Computer Science (TECS), the National Science Foundation-funded initiative is already being cultivated in the Chicago Public School system.

“More and more, computer science is being accepted to fulfill math or science credits in high schools,” said Gokhale. “Having a math, science, or technology teacher who could also teach computer science will not only benefit the districts, it will open the doors to more students who might not have considered computing as a future career path.” Read more.