Around WakeTech
Empowering Young Women in IT
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 27, 2018) – More than 40 high school students got a hands-on technology lesson at Wake Tech today. The students came from four Wake County schools for the first annual Young Women in IT Conference, hosted by Wake Tech’s Computer Technologies Division.
According to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, women accounted for only 26% of the computing workforce last year.
“We’re committed to bringing awareness to the low number of women entering the IT workforce,” said Matthew Henry, Instructor, Computer Information Technology, “At Wake Tech, we recognize this deficiency within the industry and know a conference geared toward young women is a step in the right direction.”
The conference, open to students in the 9th and 10th grades, included workshops, Q & A sessions, and discussions with female faculty members in Computer Science.
Students experienced demonstrations in computer networking, security, and data storage, and were connected to local employers to learn more about the demand for women in IT. Wake Tech also introduced attendees to Career and College Promise, where eligible students can earn college credit while still in high school.
