Member Article

CA Technologies Pledges to Reach 50,000 under-18 Students by 2020 to Further Address STEM Skills Gap in Europe

CA Technologies has announced its ambition is to reach 50,000 under-18 students in Europe by 2020 to inspire them to consider future careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and help address the chronic skills gap.

The goal is outlined in the Company’s Create Tomorrow 2018 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report published today “Inspiring the Innovators of Tomorrow”, which also highlights the complex, multifaceted nature of the STEM skills shortage and impact of gender stereotyping. For substantial change to happen, it argues, coordinated and collaborative multi-stakeholder partnerships are needed across education, government and industry.

Examples of this include: • STEM teaching placements: School teachers have significant influence in their students’ career choices, and industry placements will provide teachers with the opportunity to see first-hand the exciting career opportunities open to their students. Head teachers and education ministries must support teacher participation in such programmes. To this end, CA Technologies will pilot teacher placements in the UK and the Czech Republic during 2018. • Unconscious bias training: The inclusion of unconscious bias training in teachers’ professional development programmes, and within teacher training modules, will equip them with the skills to recognise their unconscious bias and how this impacts their behaviour in terms of gender stereotyping in the classroom. During 2018, CA Technologies STEM ambassadors will deliver unconscious bias training via its teacher placements. • Increased industry engagement: The People Like Me programme, developed by the WISE campaign, is designed to attract more girls into STEM subjects and careers. As a founder sponsor of People Like Me Goes Digital, CA Technologies, along with the other supporting industry partners, is aiming to reach 200,000 11-15-year-old girls in the UK. CA is also supporting the expansion of the program into French, German, Spanish, Czech and Italian and will be delivering interactive workshops for parents and their daughters, staffed by CA employees.

“Technology is changing every aspect of the way we live, and organisations are digitally transforming to stay relevant and competitive,” says Marco Comastri, General Manager, EMEA, CA Technologies. “For Europe to realise its full digital potential, dedicated collaboration between the key players – education, business and governments – is required to address the chronic STEM skills gap and, in particular, the gender imbalance.” • 44% of adult Europeans do not have basic digital skills[1] – despite the fact that digital skills are now needed in almost all jobs. • Closing the gender gap in STEM could lead to an improvement in EU GDP of €610 - €820 billion in 2050[2]. • By 2025, it is expected there will be 8.2 million new (STEM) jobs in Europe[3]. • Research suggests unconscious biases and gender stereotyping impact decision making – from the classroom to the boardroom.

Launched in 2015, the Company’s Create Tomorrow program is underpinned by the Company’s pledge to the European Commission’s Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, and is built on a multi-stakeholder European partnership across education, government and industry.

In 2017, CA Technologies reached a milestone by connecting with more than 10,000 under-18 school students and over 600 school teachers in Europe. Led by employees who volunteer their time to show school students what it’s like to work in STEM and the connections between studies and career opportunities, Create Tomorrow includes female role models who can talk to girls about their career journey and the exciting opportunities ahead in the world of STEM.

The Company became a founder partner of the STEM Alliance, governed by European Schoolnet and CSR Europe in 2017. The partnership helps CA Technologies further build relationships with the education sector to encourage STEM teaching that reflects the role of technology in today’s world.

“Change won’t wait for us: business leaders, educators and governments all need to work together to address the skills gap, the gender imbalance and ensure tomorrow’s workforce has the skills needed for the future of work,” says Sarah Atkinson, Vice President, Communications and Executive Sponsor for Gender Diversity at CA Technologies, EMEA. “Everyone has a role to play and through Create Tomorrow and our STEM programs, we are committed to playing our part by reaching 50,000 young people by 2020.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by CA Technologies .