The demand for technology talent is significant and growing.
By 2026, there will be 3.5M computing jobs in the U.S., but our colleges/universities are only producing 17% of the graduates needed. The unprecedented growth in the need for technology workers is coming at a time when the percentage of college degrees being awarded to women is at an all-time high of 58% and the percentage of college degrees in computer science and information technology awarded to women is near an all-time low of 18.7%. Foundational work has already been done at universities across the country to inform three key areas of intervention necessary to increase the number of women studying computer science at the undergraduate level. These include 1. Innovation in introductory Computer Science curriculum 2. Creating a sense of ‘community’ and belonging and 3. Opportunities to put computer skills to use in solving a real world challenge via research and/or industry opportunities (American Association of University Women, Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing, 2015).
Based on this research, Break Through Tech New York designed programming to improve curriculum, build community, and facilitate career access in order to increase the number of women choosing to study Computer Science while at CUNY and to ensure that they persist in their studies.
The Summer Guild is a week-long technology-focused experiential learning opportunity for incoming freshman women at CUNY. It exposes participants to the entire digital product development life cycle and encourages them to take an Introduction to Computer Science class when they start to college in the fall.
A Winternship is a 3-week paid tech internship for freshman and sophomore CUNY women during the January academic recess. The goal is to give students a resume credential and a real world experience that will increase the likelihood that they successfully land a tech internship.
The Career Readiness Program is a 6-week workshop series where women studying Computer Science at CUNY receive hands-on guidance in furthering their career in tech, gain exposure to industry professionals, and further connect with other CUNY women studying computer science or related fields.