Supporting Diversity to Increase Innovation: Building New Mexico’s Computer Information Systems Technician Workforce through Equity and Inclusion

美国劳工部估计，到2024年，美国将有100多万个与计算机相关的职位空缺。它还估计，由于合格申请者不足，这些职位中可能有超过三分之二的职位空缺。解决妇女和其他小规模群体在计算劳动力中代表性不足的问题，将有助于缩小这一预计的就业差距。有证据表明，由此带来的劳动力多样性的增加也可以提高工作场所的生产率和更好地解决问题。该项目将调查如何招聘、留住和培养妇女和少数族裔学生，以便从事计算机信息系统(独联体)的工作。项目目标包括：1)为新墨西哥州中部社区学院的独联体教师提供资源，以支持和留住独联体技术员专业中传统上代表性不足的群体；2)向高中生介绍独联体的职业，重点是女孩和来自其他弱势群体的学生；3)使这些学生为在独联体后的发展道路上取得成功做好准备；以及4)加强高中教师对独联体职业的了解和理解。项目努力将集中在从高中教师和学生到独联体计划中的大学教职员工的整个管道上。该项目旨在通过从包括妇女在内的少数群体中招募高中生进入独联体职业道路，并支持他们在这条道路上取得成功，从而扩大独联体的参与。该项目将利用多种方法，包括为高中生提供CIS技能讲习班、带薪实习和提供双重注册学分的课程。它还将培训大学教职员工，以更好地支持所有学生使用定制课程的教育旅程。将开发量化工具来监测活动对高中生的影响。描述性统计将用于确定对独联体的基线看法和对学习独联体技能的能力的信心。随着时间的推移，将对学生群体进行调查，以衡量态度和行为的变化，以及他们在高中毕业后继续接受独联体教育的意图的变化。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Department of Labor estimates that more than a million computing-related job openings will be available in the U.S. by 2024. It also estimates that more than two thirds of these jobs could go unfilled due to an insufficient pool of qualified applicants. Addressing the underrepresentation of women and other minoritized groups in the computing workforce will help to close this predicted employment gap. Evidence suggests that the resulting increased diversity of the workforce can also lead to increased productivity and better problem solving in the workplace. This project will investigate how to recruit, retain, and prepare women and minoritized students to pursue careers in Computer Information Systems (CIS). Project goals include: 1) providing CIS faculty at Central New Mexico Community College with resources to support and retain traditionally underrepresented groups in CIS technician majors; 2) introducing high school students to careers in CIS, with a focus on girls and students from other minoritized groups; 3) preparing these students for success in postsecondary CIS pathways; and 4) strengthening high school teachers’ knowledge and understanding of CIS careers.Project efforts will focus on the entire pipeline, from high school teachers and students to college faculty and students in the CIS program. The project intends to broaden participation in CIS by recruiting high school students from minoritized groups, including women, into CIS career pathways and supporting their success within the pathway. The project will leverage multiple approaches including providing high school students with CIS skills workshops, paid internships, and courses that provide dual enrollment credit. It will also train college faculty to better support the educational journeys of all their students using customized curriculum. Quantitative instruments will be developed to monitor the impact of activities on high school students. Descriptive statistics will be used to determine the baseline perceptions of CIS and confidence in ability to learn CIS skills. The student cohort will be surveyed over time to measure changes in attitude and behavior, as well as changes in their intention to pursue CIS education after high school. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.