Relevant issues for the recruitment and retention of women in the technological sciences

ABSTRACT

The U.S. economy is experiencing a shortage of information technology (IT) workers. All forecasts indicate the problem will increase more dramatically in the next two decades. A report conducted by the Computing Research Association in May 1999 describes two types of demands, episodic and long-term. [2] The episodic demand has been generated by the Y2K problem and will drop off dramatically in the next year. The long-term demand is created by the changes in our society brought about by the integration of technology and will continue to increase. In searching for solutions to the shortage problem, focusing on the underrepresented groups in American society, women, Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans presents one solution. The panel will discuss several current programs designed to address the needs of women and minorities in an attempt to recruit and retain these underrepresented groups in the technological sciences.

REFERENCES

• 1: BLS A 1983--95 National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix Time Series; Total Employment 1996 and Projected 2000.
• 2: Burt S. Barnow, John Trutko, and Robert Lerman, Skill Mismatches and Worker Shortages: The Problem and Appropriate Responses, Draft Final Report, The Urban Institute, February 25, 1998. Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
• 3: Peter Freeman and William Aspray, The Supply of Information Technology Workers in the United States, Computing Research Association, May 1999.
• 4: ITAA Initiates IT Skills Gap Research Program. http://www.itaa.org/news/pr/pr19990412.htm