Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) will host 20 New Jersey high
school girls who are participating in a seven-week Girls Who Code Summer
Immersion Program. Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization
working to help close the gender gap in computing and technology by
inspiring, educating and equipping girls with computing skills for the
21st century.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Girls Who Code. The organization’s
dedication to helping prepare young women for careers in technology
mirrors our commitment to help build the next generation of IT leaders,
not just for the technology sector but also for corporate America,” said
Barbara Koster, senior vice president and chief information officer at
Prudential. “Helping to inspire young women to consider careers in
technology will add to the pipeline of technology professionals and help
create a more diverse technology workforce in the near future.”
In 2014, Koster was named one of STEMConnector’s 100 Corporate Diverse
Leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Under
Koster’s leadership, Prudential has been named one of Computerworld
magazine’s Best Places to Work in IT for several consecutive years.
“The gender gap isn’t just a Silicon Valley issue anymore,” said Reshma
Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. “The shortage of women in
technical roles, whether it’s retail, entertainment or finance, is a
massive crisis both in terms of innovation and socio-economic equality
throughout the United States. Girls Who Code has established a
successful track record of empowering girls to pursue majors and
eventually careers in computer science, and we’re inspired that a
powerhouse organization such as Prudential has invested in taking our
movement to the next level this summer.”
According to Girls Who Code, women make up a majority of the American
labor force, but they only hold 25 percent of the jobs in computing and
technology. It is estimated that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million jobs
available in computing related fields, but women educated in the U.S.
are on pace to fill only 3 percent of them.
Beginning July 13, the girls – rising high school juniors and seniors –
will be onsite at Prudential’s Newark headquarters for a seven-week
program that will include topics such as mobile app development,
robotics and web design. In addition to classroom education, girls in
the program receive exposure to the world of computer science with field
trips to major companies in the media and technology fields, as well as
meeting some of the top executives of technology companies. The program
will continue through the end of August when the girls will make a
technology presentation at a special graduation ceremony.
Prudential’s partnership with Girls Who Code reflects the company’s
focus on talent excellence and its commitment to developing the next
generation of diverse leaders. Technology and business professionals at
the company have volunteered to act as mentors to the girls during the
seven weeks they will be on site at Prudential. In addition, several
field trips and special activities have been planned for the girls,
including a visit to Liberty Science Center, a tour of the Newark Police
Department’s Command Center, and a meeting with Dr. Mae Jemison, the
first female African-American woman in space and founder and president
of two medical technology companies.
Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization working to close
the gender gap in technology. Through its Summer Immersion Program and
Girls Who Code Clubs, the organization is leading the movement to
inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to
pursue 21st century opportunities. Additional information is available
at www.girlswhocode.com.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU), a financial services leader with
more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of March 31, 2015,
has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping
individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth
through a variety of products and services, including life insurance,
annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment
management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for
strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century.
For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.
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