Microsoft deepens focus on connecting youths in Asia Pacific with computer science educations

Source: Microsoft. Randeep Sudan, Adviser, Digital Strategy and Government Analytics, World Bank Group, observes the labour landscape changing with jobs being increasingly outsourced online.

Partnerships with nonprofit organisations (NPOs) are key in Microsoft’s mission to bridge the youth opportunity divide and increase access to computer science education across the Asia Pacific region. This was the underlying theme for Microsoft Philanthropies’ inaugural two-day summit in Asia, Enabling Opportunities.

Source: Microsoft. Snapp.

Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies, said, “Our mission is to empower every person on the planet to achieve more. Delivering on this mission starts with great technology, but great technology alone is not enough. Microsoft Philanthropies is working to increase access for all youth, especially those from underserved communities, to learn computer science and develop the skills which are critical for their future.”

Increasing youth’s access to computer science education is a key issue Microsoft is addressing to help slow youth unemployment across the world. In fact, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU's) Education to 2030 study shows that while 15 out of the 25 economies covered by the study are expected to raise public expenditure in education, schools today are not focused on teaching analytical and computer science skills.

o Youth unemployment: EIU predicts that youth unemployment rates are forecast to remain or rise in 16 of the 25 economies

o Public expenditure on education: Education is high on the agenda for governments with 15 of the 25 economies covered by EIU’s forecast will raise public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP. At the bottom of the rankings are markets with shrinking and aging populations, including Hong Kong, Japan, mainland China and Singapore. 

 

o In absolute terms, India and China will have the most science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates. EIU forecasts 1.7 million STEM graduates in 2030 and more than 400,000 in China. 

Countries are taking note with EIU forecasting that low-income economies will see the fastest growth in total number of STEM graduates. For instance, by 2030, Indonesia is expected to produce STEM graduates which represent 0.6% of the labour force, up from 0.2% in 2015. Conversely, Singapore’s STEM graduates accounted for 0.3% of the labour force in 2015 and is expected to grow marginally to 0.4% by 2030.

Compounding the issue, girls remain significantly under-represented in STEM majors, which impacts their career prospects and payscales once they enter the work force. Not only is closing the gender gap on the national agenda for many governments, the technology industry, including Microsoft have been driving programmes such as Microsoft YouthSpark, TechFemme and DigiGirlz that empower women to step up in STEM fields as well as train them to pursue their entrepreneurial passion. Through YouthSpark, NPOs in the Asia Pacific region are supported with the resources and the tools they need to bring computational thinking and problem-solving skills to local communities.

Closing the computer science skills gap and reaching young people in Asia Pacific is a multi-faceted challenge that cannot be solved by one organisation alone. As such, Microsoft’s partnerships with governments, businesses and NPOs mean that more youth, especially in underserved communities, girls and diverse populations in the region will have access to computer science education and build skills critical for future success.

The summit builds on the momentum of the announcement last September by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella of an expanded YouthSpark programme to focus on youth access to computer science education, with a US$75 million commitment in community investments over the next three years. So far, Microsoft has provided grants to over 100 NPOs in 55 markets, including 29 NPOs in the Asia Pacific region, and has trained more than 566,000 young people in computer science.

posted from Bloggeroid