Alexandra Figueroa, a senior softwaredeveloper at the GM Innovation Centerin Arizona and a 2016 HACR YHCAer,champions community programs thatexpose Latinos to careers in IT. We askedher what motivates her.There are fewer than three percent women in IT and fewerLatinas. How did you choose a career in IT?A high school teacher once told me computers are thefuture. While I wanted job security, the work is fantastic. Icreate, design, test, and engineer software that supportsGM plants worldwide. I solve problems and work with smartpeople. Another perk: the gender pay gap in computerscience is small.How do you enter the field of IT?The easiest way to be recruited right out of college isto have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or computerscience. If you are changing careers, you can obtain atechnical certification or learn coding through onlinecourses or trade schools.How can the field improve?According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, there will be1.4 million computer-related jobs in the U.S. by 2020. Atthe current rate, less than 29 percent of these jobs will befilled in the U.S. and less than three percent by women.In addition, women make up 26 percent of the computingworkforce but hold only six percent of Chief InformationOfficer positions, according to the National Center forWomen & Information Technology. One reason there arefew women at the top is the pipeline is small. Having womenat all levels is good for business. It inspires innovation andensures products and solutions fit a wide demographic.
