The first group of participants in a newly created program to increase the number of women of color in the tech industry are set to graduate. The first Black women in technology graduate on Friday, March 15th.
This program provides both entry-level technology skills and more advanced training. Both aim to help those starting or changing jobs in technology, as well as those looking to improve their skills and progress in the field.
Black Women in Tech is a collaboration of the Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio, the Brighton Center, Community Action Agency, and the Gaskins Foundation, with support from JPMorgan Chase, Google, and the Center for Workforce Innovation at the Cincinnati American Regional Chamber. Masu.
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Keturah Tatum will graduate from the Data Analytics program. She is an operations specialist for a local company, works on data analysis every day, and owns her own business, her Kadosh Aromas. She said she had always wanted to work in the technology field and was excited to find a group where Black women were supported and represented.
“In today's digital world, access to technology is so important. For me, this program helped foster learning and skill development within our community, especially as we were one of the first groups of Black women. “I truly believe in it,” she says.
It was very important to her and what she said about the program really stood out.
“This is the first time I’ve seen this level of involvement from Black women in technology.”
She told WVXU that she feels she is in a good position to move up in the company because of the additional skills she has gained. She was also able to understand how to utilize the skills she already had.
“These women work hard to complete the tasks necessary to enter a high-demand field with adequate pay and growth opportunities,” said Ebony Young, vice president of impact at the Urban League, in a release. I've come,'' he said. “We are thrilled to have played a small role in their success and look forward to seeing what they do next.”
Black Women in Tech offers Google Career Certification in six areas:
- IT support
- UX design
- data analysis
- project management
- cyber security
- Digital marketing and e-commerce
Classes are held 16 hours a week for three months. The organization behind the program provides comprehensive services such as childcare, mentoring, case management, and financial education workshops to ensure participants' success.
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Taylor Higgins is another soon-to-be graduate. She is the founder of her Taylored Design Co. and attended a project management course.
“I'm an entrepreneur and always want to learn new things,” she says. “I really wanted to achieve new educational milestones in order to create more opportunities for myself.I am currently doing a lot of project management, so I decided to apply for Project Management at Google. Participating in the program was definitely monumental in how I effectively presented information,'' explains my client and how I manage their projects. ”
Higgins added that she is grateful for the additional support resources and the ability to connect with and learn from her peers in the cohort. She said they all support each other and she would encourage other women to join in the future.
“It’s really great to not only have support to strengthen our personal capabilities, but also to be able to leverage the contract to effectively pursue new business opportunities.”
