Source: Milwaukee Journal SentinelAug.自存倉 13--Beth Akerlund is passionate about attracting more women to technology fields.Unfortunately, she said, Milwaukee lacks a strong support system for women who want to pursue technology careers.So Akerlund, a product owner at Centare, a Brookfield software developer, and two colleagues, Kirsten Corbell and Cynthia Thomas of Translator, a Milwaukee experience design firm, formed a Milwaukee chapter of Girls in Tech, a global organization focused on the empowerment of women in technology careers.GiT-MKE, as it's known, launched June 6 and already has 115 members. The group is geared toward women in southeastern Wisconsin and will focus on networking and career development, youth outreach, mentoring and education.Akerlund says the group will embrace the entire technology sector, which includes professions in product design, computer science, information technology and engineering."What's so great about the organization is that you can be a member and have worked in technology for 15 years, or you can just be in college thinking about pursuing a computer science degree," Akerlund said.Girls in Tech, based in Denver, got its start in 2007 and today has some 30 chapters and 10,000 women and supporters worldwide. Each local chapter caters to its market based on what the group feels is necessary for the community, said Girls in Tech President Kate Brodock.GiT-MKE held its first breakfast event July 31 in Bay View and Brookfield for members to gather and network. Akerlund led the Brookfield meeting while Thomas and Corbell led the Bay View meeting."I was delighted to find an exciting array of smart, savvy women, all of whom are anxious to involve more women in the technology field," said Ann Niche, associate director of mission advancement at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Niche attended the Brookfield breakfast.Amanda Conway, a Marquette student and business analyst intern with Robert W. Baird & Co., was looking for a community of women involved in technology because she is new to the field. Conway attended the Bay View breakfast and has been surrounded by technology her entire life. She wants to work in information technology after she graduates."I hope I can learn how to juggle the responsibilities of being in the technology field full-time with everything else I'd like to be involved with after graduation," Conway said.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Akerlund said, even though women held 57% of professional occupations in the U.S. in 2012, they held only 26% of tech jobs and 20% of software development jobs. In addition, only 10% of women are executives at tech start-ups.Madison's Daily Page reported that only 11% of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's 2012 computer science graduates were women.Amber Dierking, a product owner and business analyst for PowerSports Network in Sussex, believes jobs in the technology industry can be appealing to women because they tap into one's interpersonal, creative and organizational skills, as well as offer flexibility and a stable income."Since I have two young daughters, I was excited to hear how children, both boys and girls, are getting exposure to technology opportunities...," said Dierking, who attended the Brookfieldbreakfast.Betsy Rowbottom, founder of a local tech start-up, The Good Jobs, wishes an organization like GiT-MKE had been around two years ago, when she was developing her business."I believe this new movement is important and timely," she said.Beth Akerlund is passionate about attracting more women t迷你倉新蒲崗 technology fields.Unfortunately, she said, Milwaukee lacks a strong support system for women who want to pursue technology careers.So Akerlund, a product owner at Centare, a Brookfield software developer, and two colleagues, Kirsten Corbell and Cynthia Thomas of Translator, a Milwaukee experience design firm, formed a Milwaukee chapter of Girls in Tech, a global organization focused on the empowerment of women in technology careers.GiT-MKE, as it's known, launched June 6 and already has 115 members. The group is geared toward women in southeastern Wisconsin and will focus on networking and career development, youth outreach, mentoring and education.Akerlund says the group will embrace the entire technology sector, which includes professions in product design, computer science, information technology and engineering."What's so great about the organization is that you can be a member and have worked in technology for 15 years, or you can just be in college thinking about pursuing a computer science degree," Akerlund said.Girls in Tech, based in Denver, got its start in 2007 and today has some 30 chapters and 10,000 women and supporters worldwide. Each local chapter caters to its market based on what the group feels is necessary for the community, said Girls in Tech President Kate Brodock.GiT-MKE held its first breakfast event July 31 in Bay View and Brookfield for members to gather and network. Akerlund led the Brookfield meeting while Thomas and Corbell led the Bay View meeting."I was delighted to find an exciting array of smart, savvy women, all of whom are anxious to involve more women in the technology field," said Ann Niche, associate director of mission advancement at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Niche attended the Brookfield breakfast.Amanda Conway, a Marquette student and business analyst intern with Robert W. Baird & Co., was looking for a community of women involved in technology because she is new to the field. Conway attended the Bay View breakfast and has been surrounded by technology her entire life. She wants to work in information technology after she graduates."I hope I can learn how to juggle the responsibilities of being in the technology field full-time with everything else I'd like to be involved with after graduation," Conway said.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Akerlund said, even though women held 57% of professional occupations in the U.S. in 2012, they held only 26% of tech jobs and 20% of software development jobs. In addition, only 10% of women are executives at tech start-ups.Madison's Daily Page reported that only 11% of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's 2012 computer science graduates were women.Amber Dierking, a product owner and business analyst for PowerSports Network in Sussex, believes jobs in the technology industry can be appealing to women because they tap into one's interpersonal, creative and organizational skills, as well as offer flexibility and a stable income."Since I have two young daughters, I was excited to hear how children, both boys and girls, are getting exposure to technology opportunities...," said Dierking, who attended the Brookfieldbreakfast.Betsy Rowbottom, founder of a local tech start-up, The Good Jobs, wishes an organization like GiT-MKE had been around two years ago, when she was developing her business."I believe this new movement is important and timely," she said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Visit the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at .jsonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉出租
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