According to a statement released by the White House, while more than 90% of parents say they want their children to have computer science courses, only about 25% of schools in the United States offer quality coding and programming classes. In 22 states, computer science classes are not allowed to count towards high school graduation. At the same time, a growing number of jobs require computer science skills, including those in industries such as transportation, education, and health care. And there is a shortage of people who are qualified for the jobs. Last year, more than 600,000 high-paying tech jobs in the U.S. went unfilled. Experts predict that in the next two years, more than half of all Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) jobs will involve computer science.
The initiative is also designed to promote diversity in the tech industry. In 2015, only 22% of students who took the Advanced Placement Computer Science test were female. Only 13% of students who took the test were either African American or Latino. These percentages carried over to employees at big tech companies. Mandatory computer science classes, it is hoped, will encourage more students from all different backgrounds to confidently pursue technology driven careers.
President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address on January 12 in Washington, D.C.