By Brittany Tiplady
@yellowbird888
ISSofBC has developed a new program for immigrant or refugee women who are interested in pursuing a career in tech, in partnership with Emily Carr, Lighthouse Labs, #Startland, Brain Station, Red Academy and Canadian Women’s Foundation.
TechWomen offers a “women-centered curriculum” that provides customizable training for the successful applicants, which, ultimately, helps forge a sound and attainable career in the tech world.
Since its inception in 2018, TechWomen has run one whole cohort; the second TechWomen cohort is currently in session until December.
“Three of the women from the first cohort went on to full-time training, yesterday actually I went to one of the graduations. She finished a web development bootcamp and she also has a young son and her husband is supporting her on this journey, as well,” says Sarah Rolling, TechWomen Program Facilitator at ISSofBC.
“She’s excited to start work as a Junior Web Developer, but she’s also so happy to still have connections with other participants and myself and the program manager, Lisa Bautista. Her confidence has improved so much, as well as her English communication skills.”
Although the focus with this program is to help women enter the workforce with jobs in tech, the opportunities expand beyond just web-coding. For example, Emily Carr, an ISSofBC partner, offers digital design courses free of charge. Technical language skills, job shadowing, and networking, and mentorship connections are also wrapped into the program, so that the TechWomen graduates are supported with a launchpad for success.
“We are empowering newcomer women who are interested in, and passionate about, pursuing front-end web development. Also, we are offering wrap-around supports for their learning journey; there’s language support, child-minding on site,” Rolling says.
“So here they’re learning hard skills and improving their skills they already have. It’s really lovely to be part of it and see them grow both in their confidence and their skills with this support.”
TechWomen is funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and is free for all participants, eliminating the financial barriers that, unfortunately, impede on immigrant and refugee women who are seeking stable and lucrative careers in a new country and new culture.
“I think more and more we see a [need in the technology industry] to have more diversity and an all-around intersectional lense,” shares Kate Armstrong, the Director of Living Labs at Emily Carr.
“There’s a real issue I think in removing barriers for people who actually have other types of qualifications when they already arrive [to Canada], so this is another way of doing that, too. It makes me happy to think people can come and have a soft landing and get into a job that is important, interesting, and lucrative for them to build a life here.”
The next TechWomen cohort will begin in 2020. For more information on the program and how to apply, visit Issbc.org.
Brittany Tiplady is a writer, editor, former ballet teacher, and the co-founder of Loose Lips Magazine. She loves the indoors, fast wifi, collecting maps, and a generous glass of red wine. She’s a self-proclaimed wizard of time management and a notorious loud talker with a penchant for all things Internet and pop culture.
