Ignoring Tech Education for Generation Z Is a Mistake

America has a tech education problem.

According to government reports, over a million tech positions went unfilled in 2015, forcing many companies to outsource or bring in outside help rather than hire locally and participate in their local economy.

Meanwhile, the average salary for technical code-centric careers like mobile app development hover between $90,000—$100,000. Multiply that figure by a million unfilled jobs (by conservative estimates), and you can see why tech education should be a top priority for education policymakers on Capitol Hill.

Nine out of ten parents report that they want computer science to figure strongly in their children’s education — yet only one in four schools offer computer programming and technology coursework.

The problem goes deeper than just offering “coding for kids” workshops, as US test scores in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education have been going down for years.

If the US education system is going to catch up with the rest of the developed world and create a robust economy in the ongoing mobile tech revolution, policymakers as well as mobile app developers, technologists, and the general public will all have to work together. The question for Los Angeles app development companies is: how can we help?

The first step in any movement is awareness — which, slippery though the term “awareness” may be, is important to make sure everyone from teachers to students to politicians understands how important the issue is — especially for generation Z, who are growing up in a world that’s more tech-dependent than ever before.

For mobile app developers, contributing to the cause can mean a variety of activities from mentorship and internship programs to consulting with congress in partnership with organizations like ACT | The App Association.

Regardless of how the issue of technology education plays out in the coming years, it’s an issue no one can afford to ignore — because in our increasingly connected and online world, every company is a tech company on some level.

Long story short: every American is a stakeholder in tech. We have to take action now to make sure that we’re ready as a nation to stand together and compete on the international scale. The world won’t wait for us — and we can’t afford to be left behind.

To find out more about the fight for computer science education, connect with us on social media and use #CSForAll to tell your community why tech matters for the next generation.