With technology transforming the world we live in, TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools) is becoming a necessity. On Friday, May 30, more than 400 students from New York City high schools will attend the first annual Computer Science Opportunity Fair and hear from speakers to learn more about what a future in Computer Science (CS) is like.
The event is hosted by Microsoft, CSNYC and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDE), and will welcome more than 400 local high school students who are currently studying CS through Microsoft’s TEALS program and other youth technology programs in New York. More than 25 companies, universities, and organizations will gather at Microsoft’s office in Times Square.
Computer science skills help prepare students for a variety of areas beyond programming and information technology. In fact, more than 67% of software jobs are outside of the tech industry – in banking, retail, government and entertainment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million computing jobs in the U.S. and yet our nation’s universities are only graduating approximately 50,000 students annually with bachelor’s degrees in computer science.