H V | 6 H V H V Heartland View | 7 Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Technology industry has growing need for women High school women speak at an open forum during the National Center for Women and Information Technology conference Feb. 7, 2015, about their concerns of studying computer science in the future. By Mark Greathouse 1406 East First - Maryville, Mo 660-582-5861 “If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. We need all hands on deck, and that means clear- ing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.” -- First Lady Mchelle Obama. BY HANNAH MAY T echnology is a field with so much growth and projections for future employment. However jobs are going unfilled and lack many women applicants. It is estimated by the year 2020, 1.2 mil- lion jobs will be unfilled in the computer in- dustry. Microsoft gathered this information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This information is based off the statistics that only 40,000 Americans graduate each year with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Sci- ence. Microsoft points to its own company hiring more than 3,000 people in research, development and engineering in the year 2012, and the numbers will keep growing, says Daniel Costa from the Economic Policy Institute on STEM labor shortages. When it comes to earning a bachelor’s degree, women are more likely than men to graduate with one. But when it is broken down into degree type, not even 20 percent will get a degree in computer science, says Heather R. Huhman from Forbes magazine for ForbesWoman. Less than a third of the women graduating are studying in a field that would greatly benefit from their differ- ent perspective. Women in the tech industry face chal- lenges, explains college and business wom- en at the National Center for Women and Information Technology conference Feb. 7, 2015. “Computing is working more than 40 hours a week, it is something you have to love,” says Dawn Fosman a Software Archi- tect from Cerner. A stigma that hovers around like a gloomy cloud is one reason why women are not jumping to be computer scientists. Dr. Carol Spradling, a computer science professor at Northwest, says this stereotype has negatively impacted the field. “They developed in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s about how tech people were nerds, and the field was competitive,” Spradling says. She says how times are changing, but stereotypes still linger. One problem is females are not en- couraged to go into sciences when they are young. When watching TV, not many famous characters are female hackers or computer geniuses. They are detectives or reality stars. This is what young girls are looking up to, Huhman said. Niki Justice, a senior IDM: Computer Science major, was one of four females in her freshman class. She explained the challenges of being “the only girl” in class- es. Justice goes to conferences to encourage women to join fields like computer science. “Get to know your classmates, boys or girls; they will become your closest friends after your college years together and they will also be your biggest supporters,” she says. When looking at applicants for tech jobs, Jodi Kennedy, a director of Talent Sourcing at Gallup, says there is a massive difference between male and female applicants. “I believe the reason more men go into technology stems from elementary school and middle school,” Kennedy says. “This is when girls decide if they like math or sci- ence and if they do, then they may continue this passion into high school. “When they get to college, though, it’s a whole different world. When they see they are one of very few girls in their classes, many will change their major. There could be many reason, but I think the social aspect is one of them. Women are much more social and looking for that college experience.” The women at NCWIT hinted at this same opinion; they were the only girls in their class, and it was something they had to overcome. “Paving the way, I had to fight for where I wanted to go,” said Wendy Bohnenkamp a Software Development Architect from Perceptive Software. Lynn Miskell a Software Development Manager of NetApp spoke of the impor- tance of not comparing oneself to other women or men. “You have something to offer, and it has not been done yet unless you have done it,” Miskell said. It may seem sexist, but all the women interviewed talked about confidence being a woman’s issue. They spoke about how you must not compare yourself to others. “You must convince yourself, if you do it enough eventually you will believe it,” Spradling says. Todd Stagner 104 S. Vine Street Maryville, MO 660-582-8142 [email protected] ShelterInsurance.com
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HV | 6HV HVHeartland View | 7 Spring 2015 Spring 2015
Technology industry has growing need for womenHigh school women speak at an open forum during the National Center for Women and Information Technology conference Feb. 7, 2015, about their concerns of studying computer science in the future.
By Mark Greathouse
1406 East First - Maryville, Mo660-582-5861
“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. We need all hands on deck, and that means clear-ing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.”
-- First Lady Mchelle Obama.
BY HANNAH MAY
Technology is a field with so much growth and projections for future employment. However jobs are going
unfilled and lack many women applicants. It is estimated by the year 2020, 1.2 mil-
lion jobs will be unfilled in the computer in-dustry. Microsoft gathered this information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This information is based off the statistics that only 40,000 Americans graduate each year with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Sci-ence. Microsoft points to its own company hiring more than 3,000 people in research,
development and engineering in the year 2012, and the numbers will keep growing, says Daniel Costa from the Economic Policy Institute on STEM labor shortages.
When it comes to earning a bachelor’s degree, women are more likely than men to graduate with one. But when it is broken down into degree type, not even 20 percent will get a degree in computer science, says Heather R. Huhman from Forbes magazine for ForbesWoman. Less than a third of the women graduating are studying in a field that would greatly benefit from their differ-ent perspective.
Women in the tech industry face chal-lenges, explains college and business wom-en at the National Center for Women and Information Technology conference Feb. 7, 2015.
“Computing is working more than 40 hours a week, it is something you have to love,” says Dawn Fosman a Software Archi-tect from Cerner.
A stigma that hovers around like a gloomy cloud is one reason why women are not jumping to be computer scientists.
Dr. Carol Spradling, a computer science professor at Northwest, says this stereotype has negatively impacted the field.
“They developed in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s about how tech people were nerds, and the field was competitive,” Spradling says.
She says how times are changing, but stereotypes still linger.
One problem is females are not en-couraged to go into sciences when they are young. When watching TV, not many famous characters are female hackers or computer geniuses. They are detectives or reality stars. This is what young girls are looking up to, Huhman said.
Niki Justice, a senior IDM: Computer Science major, was one of four females in her freshman class. She explained the challenges of being “the only girl” in class-es. Justice goes to conferences to encourage
women to join fields like computer science. “Get to know your classmates, boys or
girls; they will become your closest friends after your college years together and they will also be your biggest supporters,” she says.
When looking at applicants for tech jobs, Jodi Kennedy, a director of Talent Sourcing at Gallup, says there is a massive difference between male and female applicants.
“I believe the reason more men go into technology stems from elementary school and middle school,” Kennedy says. “This is when girls decide if they like math or sci-ence and if they do, then they may continue this passion into high school.
“When they get to college, though, it’s a whole different world. When they see they are one of very few girls in their classes, many will change their major. There could be many reason, but I think the social aspect is one of them. Women are much more social and looking for that college
experience.”The women at NCWIT hinted at this
same opinion; they were the only girls in their class, and it was something they had to overcome.
“Paving the way, I had to fight for where I wanted to go,” said Wendy Bohnenkamp a Software Development Architect from Perceptive Software.
Lynn Miskell a Software Development Manager of NetApp spoke of the impor-tance of not comparing oneself to other women or men.
“You have something to offer, and it has not been done yet unless you have done it,” Miskell said.
It may seem sexist, but all the women interviewed talked about confidence being a woman’s issue. They spoke about how you must not compare yourself to others.
“You must convince yourself, if you do it enough eventually you will believe it,” Spradling says.
Todd Stagner104 S. Vine StreetMaryville, [email protected]
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