Johnson & Johnson Partners with Leading Universities to Advance Women's Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design (STEM2D)

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Jan 06, 2016, 02:02 ET

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Jan. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced it has entered into 10 partnerships around the world to help increase the number of undergraduate women enrolling in and declaring majors in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design (STEM2D).

The partnerships are part of Johnson & Johnson's commitment to harness the power of diversity to improve the health and well-being of people around the world. The partnerships include agreements with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and nine leading academic centers around the world, including Caltech, Harvey Mudd College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA - Brazil), Rhode Island School of Design, Rutgers-New Brunswick Honors College, Spelman College, The University of Tokyo, and The University of Limerick.

Building a diverse STEM2D community is one approach Johnson & Johnson is taking as part of a broader effort to accelerate the development of women leaders and to support women at all stages of their life to improve global health and well-being and drive sustainable economic growth.

"More than 80% of a family's healthcare decisions are made by women, including moms, sisters and their friends, and our goal with this program is to increase the participation of women that are practicing medicine and developing the technology and products that are used to keep people healthy," said Sandi Peterson, Group Worldwide Chairman, Johnson & Johnson. "Ensuring such talent is cultivated to enter the workplace is critical to maintaining successful businesses and meeting the changing needs of an increasingly complex marketplace."

Johnson & Johnson will further develop its strategy to build a healthy and diverse workforce of the future through various efforts already underway in the areas of talent recruitment and retention, women-focused innovation and corporate and philanthropic partnerships that support the advancement of women.

Johnson & Johnson's STEM2D program for women is a key initiative driving this strategy that will focus in three areas with the goal of increasing representation of women in STEM2D fields across all life stages. These include:

K-12 Outreach: Johnson & Johnson will partner with existing organizations to align curriculum in schools, augmenting program-based learning and engage Johnson & Johnson employees around the world as mentors to students.
College and University Talent: Johnson & Johnson is partnering with academic institutions and NCWIT to develop high-impact strategies for increasing the number of women enrolling in and graduating with STEM2D programs and degrees. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson intends to implement programs to increase the number of women pursuing graduate level research in STEM2D fields.
Professionals: Johnson & Johnson will identify and implement best practices for attracting and retaining the world's best technical female talent.

"The fact is that diversification of the STEM graduate pool and workforce is not proceeding at a pace we're satisfied with," said Kathy Wengel, Worldwide Vice President, Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain. "Johnson & Johnson was founded on science and innovation and we're committed to being a partner and advocate for women. So we are very enthusiastic about working with these esteemed institutions and organizations to expand the idea base in STEM2D fields and fostering diversified perspectives across the world."

About Johnson & Johnson
Caring for the world one person at a time inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science - bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people around the world. Our approximately 128,000 employees at more than 265 Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in healthcare to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world.

EDITORS NOTE: Johnson & Johnson will be at the upcoming 2016 Consumer Electronics Show to share more on the STEM2D initiative, innovations in the new technology-driven healthcare ecosystem, and collaborations with leading technology companies. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter @JNJNEWS and follow related trends with #CES2016

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson