The following post is based on a Forbes article.
Even though the US economy is still struggling with unemployment at 7.8%, companies can’t find enough qualified applicants to fill STEM positions. The solution? Get girls interested in STEM. Women account for 20-25% of the STEM workforce today. The easiest solution is to get girls interested in the field at a young age, so they will continue on to college and eventually have a career in STEM.
Microsoft has been working hard to bridge the gap by providing camps for girls 13+. At these day camps they learn the variety of work that can be done in the computer science/electrical field. These camps have inspired many young women, and some have even come back to work for Microsoft after obtaining STEM degrees.
Another example is when NetHope set up an academy in Haiti to give hands-on technology training to local students for free. This lead to one of their students to start mentoring other women and girls interested in STEM fields.
To read the full article, go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/10/22/women-and-stem-careers-how-microsoft-is-building-a-bridge-to-future-innovation-one-girl-at-a-time/
