We’re aware that gender stereotypes are one of the challenges in attracting more women into technology occupations; but did you know that they’re also a cause of salary discrepancies once women enter the field? According to data provided by the Information Technology and Contract Recruitment Association (ITCRA) about Australian ICT firms, subtle attitudes and assumptions are partly to blame for the separation of men and women into certain types of IT roles . For example, female technology trainers are paid more ($73,000 compared to $77,000), while male technology trades workers earn more than their female counterparts ($85,000 compared to $72,000). The ITCRA notes that this is in-line with traditional gender constructs depicting women as having better soft skills, like communications, while men are assumed to have better technical skills and be more willing to separate family and work life.
“From a distance, it could be argued that there’s no significant pay gap in the ICT sector, but when we look closer, it’s clear both males and females are being actively encouraged into certain roles while simultaneously being actively discouraged from other roles, and this is entrenched by pay practices,” said ITCRA chief executive, Julie Mills. “… our economic growth is coming from a two-speed economy, where trades and technicians are in greater demand … if women aren’t in these roles, they will be left behind in terms of pay and job prospects.”
***********************************************************
By now you’ve probably seen the new statistics from CRA on the 10% increase in computer science enrollments. But did you know that the increase comes with a potential danger? In a guest post at Mark Guzdial’s Computing Education Blog, Stanford professor Eric Roberts cautions that if uptick in student enthusiasm turns out to be widespread, it will require a departmental shift from building interest to building capacity. In noting that enrollment in Stanford’s CS1 course is up more than 50% from the previous year, Roberts comments that “It seems to me that we need to determine if this growth does represent yet another sea-change in the altogether-too-cyclical history of our discipline and, if so, to find some way to respond before we find ourselves drowning in an ocean of students that we have no capacity to support.”
***********************************************************
Did you know that nearly 150,000 tech jobs will be added to the economy this year? That’s the prediction from Moody’s, and it’s on-track with other predictions from the Department of Labor and the 83 percent of tech startup companies who plan to hire this year, according to Silicon Valley Bank. But the “low and stagnant” numbers of women who are positioned to fill those jobs represents a missed opportunity – not just for the women themselves, but for the companies who would hire them. Now is the time to kick our work into high gear, because – as PC Mag notes – “While employment opportunities in the technology sector may grow this year, it’s unlikely that many women will benefit—which is to the disadvantage of small startup companies who might otherwise benefit from an early influx of diverse points of view.”
***********************************************************
Did you know that, according to Deloitte, women are the “Next Smart Business Strategy”? In what it calls the “gender dividend,” recent research from Deloitte finds “direct correlations between increases in women in the workforce and increases in National GDP” and “a positive and often double-digit difference in productivity between those organizations with more women as leaders compared to those with less.” Benefits of investment in the gender dividend include “a better strategic position in terms of the broader socio-political environment; an ability to compete successfully in a global market; significant cost reductions in unwanted turnover; building a Talent Brand among female Talent; increased sales, expanded markets, increased innovation and improved recruitment and retention of a key talent segment.”
Reaping the Gender Dividend, however, requires going well beyond achieving the numbers … “It requires a concerted, strategic focus on how to fully integrate women’s experiences, perspectives, and voices into the fabric of an organization; as history has shown, this will not happen on its own. Instead, senior leaders must elevate women’s advancement to a strategic objective tied to their overall plan for growth—and having a business case is critical to getting started.” We encourage you to read the full report, here.
***********************************************************
Did you hear about the LA Unified School District physics teacher who raised $6 million to launch an in-school engineering academy and landed a MacArthur Genius award in the process? We send you into the weekend with this utterly inspirational story about a teacher who loves teaching, kids who love robotics, and a community that pitched in to support effective approaches and kids’ enthusiasm for learning STEM subjects.
Did You Know? is a brief round-up of information and news that crossed NCWIT’s radar this week that we think might be of interest to you. Practices or content of the news presented are not vetted or endorsed by NCWIT.
- K-12
- K-12
- I Want To
- K-12 Resources
K-12 Resources
Act and advocate for more inclusive computing learning experiences. Encourage and inspire students to explore computing pathways that match their interests and abilities.
- K-12 Programs
K-12 Programs
Inspire and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, equip K-12 and higher education influencers, and foster virtual and in-person communities at local, regional, and national levels.
- K-12 Alliance
K-12 Alliance
Mobilize year-round alongside formal and informal educators and other adult influencers nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Higher Education
- Higher Education
- I Want To
- Higher Ed Resources
Higher Education Resources
Build consensus for action amongst colleagues, leaders, and advisors to create momentum for measurable, sustainable change within computing departments and institutions.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Education Programs
Recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- Higher Ed Alliance
Higher Ed Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside faculty, staff, administrators, department heads, and other mentors nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Workforce
- Workforce
- I Want To
- Workforce Resources
Workforce Resources
Employ strategic approaches that avoid the typical pitfalls of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion interventions.
- Workforce Programs
Workforce Programs
Volunteer to engage with the next generation of technologists, amplify the bottom-line benefits of diverse technological contributions, and more.
- Workforce Alliance
Workforce Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside corporate seniors, executives, and team leaders nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Resources
- Resources
- Programs
- Programs
- Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
- BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
- Color of Our Future
Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
- Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
- Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
- Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
- Sit With Me
Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Tech Inclusion Journey
Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
- Aspirations in Computing
- News & Events
- News & Events
- NCWIT Summit
NCWIT Summit
The NCWIT Summit: where conversations lead to change is the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.
- News
News
Check out NCWIT’s latest press releases, press mentions, newsletters, blogs, and articles we are talking about!
- Events
Events
NCWIT offers various in-person and virtual events throughout the year and is also present at many other industry events. Find out about past and upcoming items here.
- re:think Magazine
- NCWIT Summit
- About NCWIT
- About NCWIT
- LOG IN