Only a quarter of women make up the computing workforce. A new mentorship program will attempt to boost those numbers by encouraging women to enter and commit to a career in the tech industry.
Facebook, Pinterest and Box launched a new pilot program called WEST (Women Entering and Staying in Tech) that will provide one-on-one mentorship for women entering tech-based careers and help them remain in the industry. The program will start early next year in the Bay Area.
"WEST is designed to enable 1:1 mentorship for women in the early- to middle-stages of their technology careers," the program wrote on its website. "We believe that by providing more direct support, advocacy, and community development, we can help more women build rewarding careers in technology."
The number of women graduating with computer science degrees has dwindled from 37 percent in the mid-1980s to 18 percent in 2012, according to TechRepublic. With a lack of degrees, women won't compete well against men for the 1.4 million computer science jobs estimated to become available by 2020.
"It is our hope that this program will help more women enter and flourish in these increasingly important and necessary technical roles," WEST wrote
Women in technical roles at the three companies will help mentor through in person and online interactions as well as group gathering over the course of one year, according to WEST. The pilot program will only be open to those living in the Bay Area with positions in areas such as engineering, operations, product, design and web development.
The mentees will range from beginners starting their careers as interns to those in mid-career, who are looking to grow or advance in their company.
"Mentorship can be incredibly influential in a woman's career, and we're excited to be tackling this challenge together," Facebook wrote in a statement. "We believe that by working together and providing more direct support, advocacy, and space for community development, we can create an impactful, scalable, one-on-one mentorship program to help women build and grow meaningful careers in tech."
