BOSTON (IDG) -- With a litany of sobering statistics to support her, U.S. Commerce Department official Kelly Carnes on Monday lamented the dearth of women working in technology, and issued a call to arms to encourage more girls to pursue careers in math and science.

"It really says something when of 105 winners of the prestigious National Medal of Technology only two have been women," said Carnes, in a keynote speech here on opening day of the Women in Technology International conference.

Carnes, who serves as deputy assistant secretary for technology policy at the Commerce Department, said the government is on an overall mission to eliminate the shortage of IT workers -- male or female. But she acknowledges that a big part of that effort is recruiting more women.

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"In the next 10 years, the U.S. will need 1.3 million programmers, systems analysts, and computer science engineers," Carnes said. "These are jobs that pay 64 percent above the national average. That's not a bad challenge to answer."

Part of the challenge lies in enticing girls into high-tech careers, a move made difficult by a number of factors, not the least of which is transcending the geeky image society has cast upon scientists and technology folks, Carnes said.

"We asked a group of sixth graders to draw pictures of IT workers recently, and they drew people with pocket protectors, bald heads, glasses, and highwater [pants]," Carnes said. "And nearly all of the pictures were of men."

To combat the problem, the Commerce Department is appealing to those people with direct influence on children today, teachers and parents, to sell their kids on technology, science, and math.

The government has been sponsoring town meetings nationwide this year, asking educators, parents, and corporate people to brainstorm the best solutions for boosting IT training and education among young people. In addition, new grants from the Department of Education are helping to match students with IT mentors and bring them into companies to get a real-world glimpse of what IT jobs are like.

"We want to give girls in particular the early and continuing exposure to information and creative IT career choices," Carnes said.

Finally, to help curb the current IT worker shortage the government is investing $80 million to create a job and resume bank to help employers better match up with potential IT employees.

Carolyn A. April is Deputy News Editor for InfoWorld.