Celebrate Computer Science Education Week

Statement

By Martin O'Malley

This week we celebrate Computer Science Education Week throughout the State of Maryland, and we encourage all of our citizens to participate in the Week's activities. We also encourage our education stakeholders and their partners to expand access to meaningful professional development for teachers, as well as to expose all students to the concepts of computer science while providing pathways to advanced learning.

As one of the nation's leaders of the technology industry, Maryland is in a strong position to capitalize on our recent accomplishments. We are making better choices to get better results: we've made record investments in our schools; we are the first state in the nation to set specific science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education standards; and, we have substantially expanded access to Career and Technical Education in Maryland's public schools.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranks Maryland as the number one state for entrepreneurship and innovation and one of the top two states for employment in STEM fields. Over the past decade, we have created more STEM jobs than all but five states. Currently, we have 140,000 employees in the technology industry, making an average salary of $82,000. These attractive, high-demand positions are going to increase in number at a rapid rate:

By 2020, the number of cybersecurity jobs in Maryland is projected to increase by nearly 25 percent, to more than 13,000 jobs;

By 2020, the number of computer and information technology jobs in Maryland is projected to increase by more than 22 percent, to nearly 77,000 jobs;

And, Maryland is projected to generate an additional 7,695 job openings in computer science and information technology every year between now and 2020.

This type of growth presents incredible opportunity for our children to succeed in the 21st century marketplace. Now more than ever, it's imperative that we expand opportunity so our children have the critical skills necessary to achieve their dreams. Computer Science Education Week is just one of the ways we're making sure that our students are the best prepared in America. From being number one in the nation in Advanced Placement success, to being the first state in the nation to set specific STEM education standards, to launching Skills2Compete, we're making better choices and getting the right results for Maryland families. This week, take the opportunity to learn a new computer skill and join us in working to make Maryland a great place to live and learn.

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