UST Global is an information technology solutions firm based out of California that is crossing state lines to help educate minority women about STEM in major cities across the country. The company’s CEO, Sajan Pillai, saw that children living in inner cities in California are at a disadvantage when it comes to STEM education. Young minority women are even less likely to have opportunities to learn about technology. As adults women make up half of the population, yet are distinctly outnumbered in the IT field. Step IT Up America was born as a way to bridge this gap by providing a path to education and employment in the IT field for minority women.
Detroit is the third state to try the Step IT Up America program. By the end of the year seven other cities will join in. The training program works with community colleges and other local organizations to gain support and help participants find jobs. Information technology will continue to create jobs across the country and thanks to Step IT Up America there will be thousands of women able to apply for those jobs.
I hope this program will help all children in Detroit and other cities get an opportunity to investigate a path for education in the STEM fields.