Diversifying the Face of Computing through Re-entry Initiatives for Returning Women

Abstract

Recruitment, retention, and graduation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training are critical needs in our nation [1, 2]. Within STEM, the computing and tech industry, specifically some niches, are expected to grow job opportunities more quickly than others. Emerging Technology (EmTech) concentrations like cybersecurity, data science, mobile development, machine learning, and cloud computing will have thousands of jobs in the next decade which will require a large pool of technical professionals. EmTech can use the largest untapped talent pool of women and returning women to fill the gap in the workforce. Hence, to understand the barriers and challenges faced by returning women to (re-) enter computing and tech fields, a three-day virtual conference, NSF RESET, was organized in March 2021. In this poster, we present the preliminary results on conference attendees' satisfaction level and effectiveness in facilitating resources to (re-)enter EmTech educational and professional pipeline.