STEM Leaders to Release Computer Science Education Roadmap

Live Town Hall, White Paper and Microsite to Unveil Education Blueprint

Washington DC | Mumbai, December 10, 2013: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and STEMconnector®, the one-stop-shop for STEM information, announced, today, the upcoming release of a thought-provoking, collaborative paper titled, ‘The Future of Computer Science.’ Providing a comprehensive blueprint for promoting Computer Science Education (CSEd) nationwide, the paper and an accompanying microsite will go live on December 12, 2013 during a national town hall that will be publicly broadcast online, featuring leading STEM and Computer Science (CS) advocates.

The town hall will feature a web-based discussion by leading advocates, policy makers, implementers and industry representatives including the following:

Representative Mike Honda of California
Surya Kant, President, North America, UK and Europe, TCS
Cameron Wilson, COO, Computing in the Core/Code.org
Rob Atkinson, CEO, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Balaji Ganapathy, Head, Workforce Effectiveness, TCS
Edie Fraser, CEO, STEMconnector®
Other government officials

CS is a critical competency for the US workforce and in particular, the STEM workforce, of which 50 percent are computer workers. Moreover, computer-related jobs are currently growing faster than any other sector other than healthcare, and 71 percent of the new STEM jobs are projected to be computer-related jobs by 2018. However, the nation faces a notable shortage of qualified candidates.

“The need for Computer Science Education in the United States is a national problem that deservedly requires attention. At TCS, we believe Computer Science has the power to transform businesses and unlock amazing career and earning opportunities across the nation,” said Surya Kant, President of North America, UK & Europe. “Through our collaboration with STEMConnector®, we can maximize our efforts toward addressing this issue and achieving results.”

The white paper and microsite are a result of a roundtable event held in Washington DC on September 6, 2013, at the National Press Club, co-hosted by TCS and STEMconnector®, two national leaders in promoting STEM education. Participants for this event included leaders from government, formal education, industry, and non-governmental organizations like youth groups. The white paper and microsite discuss effective strategies on improving outcomes in CS interest, education, public policy, corporate volunteering and mentoring.

The roadmap for the ‘Future of Computer Science’ includes recommendations such as the following:

Injecting real-world problems into the CS curriculum to inspire students toward STEM careers (Executive Panel)
Making CS a part of the math or science graduation requirements for all high school students (State Policy)
States should be graded on their STEM education performance and establish consistent standards for comparison (Federal Policy)
Training teachers in CS, establishing support systems for formal and informal learning (Education)
Corporations must encourage students into CS through employee volunteer engagement (Corporate Engagement)

“We are so proud to partner with a company with such fervent commitment to this critical issue,” said Edie Fraser, CEO,STEMconnector®. “TCS is committing its financial capital; more importantly, it is contributing its amazing human capital to encourage collaboration about this critical education to workforce issue. We need to get moving if we are going to make a difference.”

Please join us on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 2:00 PM EST for this town hall focusing on the challenges and opportunities confronting CSEd. This open-to-the-public online event will be broadcast via YouTube and viewers will have the opportunity to participate in the conversation through an online discussion. To register for the event, click here, or to view the event website, click here, and follow us on Twitter at #CSEd2C.

About STEMConnector®
STEMconnector® is “the one-stop-shop” for STEM information. With several products and services, STEMconnector® supports its members design, implement and measure their STEM strategies. Since its launch in 2011, STEMconnector® has been the leader in leveraging a network of STEM stakeholders and “making things happen.” STEMconnector®’s charge is to identify, inform and connect entities working in STEM Education/Careers to assess smart STEM investments and results. For information on how to become a sponsor, contact ted.wells@stemconnector.org.

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 over 285,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $11.6 billion for year ended March 31, 2013 and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com.