A "Made with Code" initiative launched by Google is designed to help bring greater diversity to the workplace. Part of this effort is teaching young women how to write computer code.
One in five computer programmers in the United States is female. A mere 12 percent of computer science degrees in the United States are awarded to female graduates. Google itself has stated just 17 percent of their tech workers are women.
"We're not where we want to be when it comes to diversity. And it is hard to address these kinds of challenges if you're not prepared to discuss them openly, and with the facts," Google management wrote on a Web page addressing the issue.
Google does better when it comes to non-tech positions, where women make up nearly half - 48 percent - of the company's workers. Throughout the company, just three out of 10 employees are women.
To help increase the number of women creating computer code, Google announced $50 million in funding to help middle and high school girls learn computer coding skills. The money will be provided over a three-year period.
Projects are available at www.madewithcode.com, providing young people the chance to learn how coding works. Using a simple computer language, young programmers can learn how to create icons, modify selfie photos and create a bracelet to be manufactured on a 3D printer.
The Made with Code initiative was launched with a live event in New York. Present at the ceremonies were Chelsea Clinton, daughter of the former president, and comedic actress Mindy Kaling, who hosted the event.
At the conference, Kaling told the audience she has a lot of ideas for phone apps, but has no idea how to create them. One idea the comedienne proposed was "What's His Deal?" This would be an app that would allow someone to take a picture of a perspective dating partner, providing the user information on his marital status, personality quirks and car.
Race is another way Google is looking at the makeup of their workforce. Overall, 61 percent of employees at the company are Caucasians, followed by Asians, who comprise an additional 30 percent of their force. African-Americans make up just two percent of Google's total number of workers, and one percent of their tech employees.
In addition to projects, the Made with Code Web site offers a mentors page, telling the stories of women who used coding skills to develop new games, movies and fight for social justice.
"All of our efforts, including going public with these numbers, are designed to help us recruit and develop the world's most talented and diverse people," Google management stated.
