Contxto – The world needs more women in IT. Take note: this isn’t just a matter of inclusion. It’s also a question of productive sustainability. This is because the Inter-American Development Bank recently reported that Latin America will need over 1.25 million programmers by 2025. As the numbers currently stand, women make up just 10 percent of all programmers in the region.
Thankfully there are startups like Peruvian Laboratoria that provide classes in software and programming to underprivileged young women. What’s even better is the fact that it recently joined forces with IBM to train and facilitate women’s entry into the IT labor market.
It’s estimated that over 500 women in Peru, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil will benefit from these efforts.
IBM and Laboratoria… BFFs?
So what’s going to happen is Laboratoria will familiarize itself with IBM’s needs in software development. These requisites will be processed by the startup who will then develop the program and work with women interested in IT. Candidates will emerge specializing in either software development or in UX (user experience) design.
Both highly coveted roles that would push for more female inclusion in IT. Moreover, women would be armed with more insights and feedback to face this job market, thanks to IBM’s input.
Despite the apparently technical background of the program, both IBM and Laboratoria will also help program participants develop their soft skills. Upon graduating, they may even be hired by IBM or partnering companies in the field of IT.
This isn’t the first time the tech giant teams up with the startup. Prior projects included workshops on blockchain, AI, and, a personal fav, story-telling.
Women in UX
It’s thrilling to hear that through this project more women will enter the field of UX design. As the oh-so-awesome UX community can attest, it’s crucial that a user’s needs be well-understood to develop effective products and services. This requires some serious soft skills and empathy, which many women naturally have.
Which means that in the future we may have more comprehensive solutions to some of Latin America’s—and the world’s—biggest problems.
-ML
