TCS goIT Program Inspires Students in 11 U.S. Cities on STEM Careers

NEW YORK and MUMBAI, India, Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tata Consultancy Services (BSE: 532540, NYSE: TCS), a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, today announced the completion of the company's sixth and most successful year of its goIT Student Technology Awareness Program, with a national expansion that now includes 11 cities across the U.S. and a launch in Toronto, Canada, this October. Founded in 2009, goIT aims to inspire students to pursue education and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) fields, by deploying TCS employee volunteers to teach computer science and programming concepts. Covering career awareness workshops, hands-on technology education, teacher training, and parent orientation, the program is offered free of cost to middle and high school students through in-school, after-school, and out-of-school formats.

"Today's digital economy and new technologies, such as big data and analytics, robotics and artificial intelligence, cloud computing, mobile and pervasive computing, and social media, are increasing the importance and demand for STEM skills. To succeed on tomorrow's stage, students must today have a solid STEM foundation and be fluent in the technologies that will power the global economy," said TCS' Surya Kant, President of North America, U.K. and Europe. "Through the TCS goIT program, skilled technology professionals from our company are mentoring and inspiring young students to be future STEM leaders."

Since inception, TCS goIT has engaged more than 7,500 students across 50 school districts, with promising results. In fact, 70 percent of participants reported an increased interest in STEM disciplines, and goIT schools reported a 27 percent increase in high school students choosing STEM disciplines in college. The program teaches students how to collaborate in team activities, participate in technical workshops with IT professionals, discover career opportunities, and compete in robot challenges. And each TCS volunteer completes extensive training, covering youth psychology, U.S. education systems and goIT CS programming, to aid their preparation as a mentor to students.

2014 has been a banner year for TCS goIT, expanding from three to 11 cities across North America, and 200 new employee volunteers participated, resulting in more than 6,500 hours of high-impact skill building and Computer Science (CS) programming – all to benefit students, underserved youths, minorities, and girls. TCS partnered with numerous organizations across the U.S. to successfully execute the goIT programs. They include: Chicago, IL – US2020, Project Exploration and Boys and Girls Club; Jersey City, NJ – New Jersey Chamber of Commerce; New York, NY – Teach For America and New York City Department of Education; Bentonville, AR – TREC Center for Gifted and Talented Education; Atlanta, GA – Cobb Chamber of Commerce; Columbus, OH – Ohio State University; Cincinnati, OH – at the TCS Seven Hills park; Dallas, TX – Dallas ISD Chamber of Commerce; Midland, MI – Midland Public Schools; Santa Clara, CA – United Way Silicon Valley; and Minneapolis, MN – Sabathani Community Center.

"STEM education is necessary to ensure that each and every child is prepared for a 21^st century global economy," said United States Congressman Michael M. Honda (CA-Silicon Valley). "Programs such as goIT provide our students the tools and opportunities to succeed and compete for quality jobs." 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), between 2013 and 2023, there will be two jobs available for every graduate with a Computer Science (CS) degree, and more than 1.4 million jobs created by 2020 that require CS and programming skills – but only 400,000 CS college graduates to fill those jobs. Currently, less than 2.4 percent of U.S. college students graduate with a degree in CS, with just 12 percent of CS degrees awarded to women.

Furthermore, nine out of ten schools don't even offer computer programming classes, and in 30 of 50 states in the U.S., Computer Science doesn't count towards high school graduation in math and science requirements. This October, goIT will launch in Canada as an in-school program, with grade nine students from five high schools learning to develop apps through MIT App Inventor, and grade eight students from five middle schools learning to program robots through Lego Mindstorms.

"Since its founding, TCS has committed itself to civic engagement, leveraging the talent and enthusiasm of its employees to help solve local societal needs. Across several city neighborhoods in America, we are seeing students in goIT programs undergo a total transformation in their outlook. Students, especially those from underserved groups, at-risk youth, girls, and minorities, benefit immensely from the engagement with industry professionals." said Balaji Ganapathy, Head of TCS Workforce Effectiveness, who oversees the company's CSR program.

The goIT program is a key component of TCS' broader STEM initiatives that span the U.S. and Canada. They include convening Computer Science round tables to identify sustainable roadmaps for CS education and careers, and further scale effective public-private partnership models for industry engagement. TCS has published white papers on 'Education & Careers in the U.S.: The Future of Computer Science'; 'The STEM Imperative: 100 CEO Leaders Discuss the Importance of STEM in U.S.'; and 'Women in STEM: Realizing the Potential,' in partnership with STEMconnector®. TCS is also a founding partner of Million Women Mentors (MWM) and US2020, national mentoring initiatives aimed at engaging a million industry professionals each to inspire students in STEM education and careers.

About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS)
Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT, BPS,infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model™, recognized as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India's largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has more than 305,000 of the world's best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $13.4 billion for year ended March 31, 2014 and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com.

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SOURCE Tata Consultancy Services