Harvard initiative offers mentorship, support for women in IT
It’s no secret that today’s information technology (IT) sector is booming. Over the next 10 years, the field is projected to add more than 500,000 jobs in the U.S. alone. Yet despite that, women account for only about 25 percent of the IT workforce, rising to 37 percent in academia, according to Harvard Women in Technology, which lists Harvard at 35 percent. Working to increase that number is a staff-led community of volunteers from the Harvard Women in Technology + Allies Mentoring Program, an initiative of the broader HarvardWIT+ organization. Launched in 2018, the mentoring program began as a pilot after receiving money from the President’s Administrative Innovation Fund. At its core, the program’s objective is to make Harvard a more engaged and inclusive community by increasing retention and promotion of those in IT roles, providing coaching and career-development tools, and empowering members in their workspace. The pilot graduated 20 pairs of mentors and...