Getting more women into tech has been a major focus for companies all over the world in the past years.
First, we’d like to let you in on some industry insights and show you how a woman’s touch and point-of-view can be invigorating for development projects, digital products, and the tech scene as a whole.
Then, we’d like to introduce the CoderGirl Scholarship to you, and encourage you to give it a try and apply for it.
Coding languages don't have genders
The age-old notion that coding is a men’s profession is slowly becoming obsolete. More and more tech companies are looking to hire women, and we hope that it’s just a matter of time that girls in great numbers decide to start a career in tech. We know that women can code, too, and want to scream it from the rooftops so that each and every girl around the world can hear it.
Since we’re on a mission to close the digital tech talent gap, and we want to invite more women into tech, we decided to do something really nice for the ladies out there. And so we created the CoderGirl Scholarship.
What's the purpose behind the CoderGirl Scholarship?
Well, we wanted it to be a mixture of a gentle nudge, inspiration, and some motivation for girls who have been thinking about starting a career in tech. It’s for those who haven’t taken the first steps yet – maybe they lack resources, or maybe they are discouraged because of the stereotypes.
We offer motivated, courageous girls a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and give them a head start in their IT careers.
The Scholarship is available in all Codecool locations: in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Austria, too. If you apply and get the scholarship, you’ll have the chance to complete one of our courses (depending on the location) for free.
Our mentors will be there to support you, and you’ll get to learn programming the Codecool way – this means a year of fun-filled mastery-based learning, a guaranteed, future-proof career in tech, and all-in-all, a new life. And all you need to do is give it a try, and apply!
But why are women so valuable for tech companies?
For starters, the imbalance of genders in tech today is a guarantee for the lack of quality in products. After all, when half of the world isn’t involved in creating the digital solutions of today and the future, how can we even hope that these products will fit everyone?
Today, only 8% of developers worldwide are female, and although 30% of Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) degrees are held by women, even they rarely end up in IT. However, women are believed to be more creative, empathetic and understanding than men generally are, and these qualities are extremely valuable when working in teams, and when creating products for a variety of people.
Plus, around 53% of European companies that are trying to recruit ICT specialists are having difficulties in finding qualified people. And it’s not like these companies aren’t looking to hire women. It’s just that the tech talent gap is widening at an accelerated rate.
So having a new wave of skilled women enter the tech scene could not only help those women start new lives in fulfilling, future-proof careers, but at the same time, they could help solve the problem of the ever-widening tech talent gap at companies.
More women involved = better products
The first person to ever publish an algorithm was a woman: Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician, who is considered to be the author of the first computer program. Since this historical moment, the question of gender equality in the IT workplace did not go anywhere. If anything, it has become a global problem, one for the ages and history books.
If we look at the design, development, or management of digital products and applications all over the world, we can see a definite pattern. When men are in charge without the other gender’s insights, it often happens that the final digital product doesn’t fit women at all.
Now let’s talk about differences in size for a second – hand size, of course. Women have smaller hands – yeah, we know, shocker. Can you imagine though, that the first wave of gameconsole controllers weren’t optimised for the delicate hands of gamer girls at all? That is 41% of the gaming market in the US today. No biggie, right?
Oh, and another thing: a more hidden layer of biological differences. Did you know that there is a difference in the pupil of the eye between women and men? That’s right, 90% of women’s pupils have a wider diameter than men’s. Where is this a problem? For example, first-gen VR headsets caused nausea and headache for women a lot more often than for men. If only they had been designed differently, right?
Girls, we believe in you!
The above list could go on, but you get the point. Getting more women into tech isn’t simply about inclusivity or moral – it’s about improving products, creating a bigger market for them, and building a more inclusive digital future, together.
So if you are a girl and have been thinking that you could be a valuable asset to the tech community, you’re absolutely right! And we’ve got your back.
To become a CoderGirl, you don’t need special abilities, titles, or a background in tech. And this time, you don’t even necessarily need to pay a course fee. All you need is your motivation, curiosity, and courage!
You can get the scholarship if you:
- are a girl or a woman,
- apply to a course with CoderGirl Scholarship seats at Codecool Hungary, Poland, Romania or Austria,
- meet our usual criteria (you have a high-school diploma, speak good English and have basic logic skills, and pass the interview with our recruiters).
At the interview, we want to get to know you and your motivation, and also want to help you decide if coding really is the right path for you.
Sounds inspiring, right?
Give it a try and apply! And help us change the world of tech, one CoderGirl a time.