CAMP CODE

DISCUSSION PAPER

Background

Careers in computer programming and software development continue to grow and to command competitive salaries.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), the median annual wage for computer programmers in May 2015 was $79,530 ( BLS also lists software development as one of the occupations with the most job growth anticipated between 2014 and 2024 ( show both high salaries and job growth in the field for Texas. Salaries range from $53,000 to $104,000, with an expected growth of 32 percent over the period of 2012–2022 (

However, despite the growth in computer programming and software development, it is still the case that fewer women than men are entering those fields. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2013 that women constituted only 26.6 percent of employees in computer science occupations, leaving 73.4 percentof the positions to the male population ( In the past 30 years, the number of womencompleting engineering and technology programs has declined. As a result, women are underrepresented in technology-related jobs, especially in technical positions and at leadership levels (McKinsey & Company,October 2015,

Texas reflects the national trend. According to the Texas Workforce Commission’s Labor Market and Career Information research of 2015, only 24.9 percent of employees in computer-related occupations in Texas were women.

Issues

Texas must continue to produce a qualified science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce to meet the growing demand of information technology jobs.To meet the need for this workforce and help Texas to be competitive in the national economy, girls must be encouraged and supported in these fields.

To increase the recruitment and retention of women in these fields, Texas’ schools must foster the interest of girls in computer science. If girls become interested when they are very young, they are more likely to follow those interests throughout middle school and high school, thus preparing themselves for postsecondary education and rewarding careers.

Providing activities and lessons that encourage their interest in hightechnology, such as working in teams to use programming languages to build games, webpages, and robots, can enhance girls’ interestin the industry. Creating summer camps thatoffer computer science projects that incorporate art and storytelling with robotics, video games, websites, and applications can also further interest in the field. The coding education should include the most in-demand and popular languages, such as Java, SQL, C++, Net, Perl, Ruby, and JavaScript.

Recommendations

Staff recommends developing a new initiative called Camp Code tofocus on increasing the interest of middle school girls in coding and computer science by providing summer camps. Camp Code will offer hands-on experiences that provide challenging and innovative concepts and experiences in learning, problem solving, and analytical skills while fostering an interest in STEM-related careers, focusing on computer science.

Building on the successes of the Governor’s Summer Merit Program and the Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy program, staff recommends publishing a request for proposals that provides $600,000 in Temporary Assistance for Needy Familiesfunds for sixth -,seventh-, and eighth-grade girls to attend Camp Code summer camps for computer programming.

Eligible offerors include independent school districts, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations. Offerors maychoose to partner with an information technology employer. The maximum grant award would not exceed $100,000.

DP Camp Code Notebook 11.22.16