Dive Brief:
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The number of women in the U.S. computing workforce will drop from 24% to 22% by 2025, according to new research from Accenture and Girls Who Code.
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But the research also found strategies to encourage girls to pursue a computer science education could stop that decline and triple the number of women in computing to 39% by 2025.
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Such efforts could also boost women’s cumulative earnings by $299 billion, the study found.
Dive Insight:
The U.S. continues to see a vast difference between the number of open computing jobs and the number of computer science graduates available to fill them. Increasing the number of girls and women interested in computer science could go a long way to filling that gap, the study found.
"We need a new mindset and willingness to prioritize and focus on our nation’s girls, and we need it now," said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code.
The study sought to understand girls’ interest in computing at each stage of their education and recommends actions such as drawing interest in middle school, sustaining engagement in high school and highlighting the potential for careers in the field while in college. Increased effort can ensure girls stay interested and engaged in computer science throughout their educational careers.
