Hoping to increase women’s interest in pursuing careers in technology, The Cognizant U.S Foundation, a non-profit that supports STEM workers and students, has given the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) a $4.1 million grant to fund additional programs and campaigns. The programs are expected to help 2,243 women and girls in STEM fields, as well as strengthen career opportunities for over 13,000 individuals.
With over 1,110 existing universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide, the NCWIT plans to use the funds to launch new specialized coding skills camps for girls and women, as well as provide additional training for the school counselors. Many of the communities that NWCIT is focusing on have historically lacked computing education resources and a technology workforce.
The organization plans to implement programming initially in the south and southeastern U.S, close to corporate internships and available jobs, where The Cognizant U.S Foundation has existing training partners, as well as students and educators interested in their work.
Lucy Sanders, CEO and co-founder of NWCIT, explained the importance of making computing education available to more demographics to fill an estimated 3.5 million open computing-related jobs, a sector of which only 26 percent of jobs are filled by women. In addition to making programming and education more available, NWCIT plans to help women get placed into digital economy jobs.
“We recognize diversity overall as a crucial competitive advantage in business today. Just as vital to the health and competitiveness of our nation’s businesses is ensuring that American workers of all orientations are prepared to capitalize on career opportunities in the digital economy. The work being done through NCWIT is having a meaningful impact on the way women view potential careers in the technology industry, and their preparedness, and we are proud to be supporting NCWIT in advancing their mission,” said DK Sinha, President of The Cognizant U.S. Foundation.
