Diaz I am the CEO of ITJ. ITJ is an organization that enables California companies to establish technology centers of excellence in Tijuana, Mexico. She lives in Rancho Santa Fe.
San Diego's technology industry has a lot of opportunity, but if we can't open that opportunity to a more diverse workforce, it won't be of much economic value to the region.
The biotechnology industry and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-oriented fields have fueled tremendous growth in San Diego's local economy. Our region is often listed on “most original” lists. third highest It has a high concentration of life sciences companies from around the world and was recently named one of the United States. “Early adopter” A high percentage of companies specialize in artificial intelligence.
However, what America is facing is Serious technical talent shortageBy 2025, it is predicted that there will be a gap of 5 million more people than are qualified to fill engineering jobs. This is partly due to the high barriers to entry for this type of vocational training, which is often only accessible to people from high-income backgrounds.
We need to level the playing field so that more qualified people from diverse backgrounds can access these high-paying jobs. That means finding ways to help more women, people of color, and low-income or traditionally less educated workers gain the skills they need to get jobs in the booming technology economy. Masu.
Thankfully, our binational region is already leading the way in making STEM more inclusive. When it comes to a diverse, qualified and flexible technology workforce, San Diego has something that no other city in the United States has. That's Tijuana.
Our neighbors across the border are known for many things, but their tech talent is often not among them. However, many of the Tijuana area's universities have strong technology programs, and the city has a young, dynamic workforce eager to apply their skills.There are also programs that I help run. I.T.J.trains and upskills employees for today's most in-demand positions at U.S. companies.
I am particularly focused on this part of ITJ's mission because I am a woman and a first-generation immigrant to the United States from Latin America. Because I don't see many people who look like me at work. I grew up in Ecuador in a very traditional Latin American family. My parents didn't even go to college and didn't have a proper understanding of how to guide me towards building a career. Women in my large family were often expected to stay at home and raise the children. It was almost by chance and luck that I found my career path as a technology executive. My hope is that no woman, especially a Latina, is lucky enough to get into this career. I want their paths into STEM professions to be purposeful and successful.
Many of the students and professionals we train and deploy at ITJ come from similar cultural backgrounds to mine. University of California, San Diego Department of Education and Community Outreach Division of Extension Studies is aligned with our mission that nurturing this diverse talent base is key to the region's success. ITJ and the Department of Education and Community Support co-design a partnership aimed at providing free, world-class engineering training to Mexico-based talent and connecting them to companies in the region that need them most. , jointly developed.
We are eliminating the need for technology companies to work offshore or even “nearshore” away from the region. Instead, we are committed to 'noshoring', building educational bridges between cities so that more people can thrive, no matter which side of the border they live. It's being built.
The world recognizes the region's unique bilateral economies as leaders in innovation.In fact, in 2024, San Diego and Tijuana will jointly world design capitalThis is the first time a pair of binational cities have done so. We live up to this title through unique partnerships like the one between the University of California, San Diego and his ITJ.
Beyond building a larger talent base for U.S. technology companies, the most important thing this type of initiative does is prove cultural norms about careers in technology wrong. We challenge the idea that top engineering talent only comes from bachelor's degree programs at major universities, or that an expensive degree is necessary for a successful career. We are challenging the culture of big tech companies and opening our eyes to the bias they may have had against talented female engineers who grew up in a culture where they were taught not to speak up. Masu. Above all, we are challenging the idea that the best innovation happens in homogeneous bubbles.
More higher education institutions in our region would be wise to build similar initiatives.
