ALX bridges tech gender divide

In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) taking place on March 8, ALX has announced its first-ever all-female software engineering training programme - enabling up to 50 000 women across Africa to be at the helm of the global technology revolution and helping to transform the tech status quo throughout the continent.

The programme forms part of ALX’s “WomXn and Tech” initiative, and was inspired by the United Nations IWD theme of “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”

Through this initiative, ALX is demonstrating its commitment to helping bridge the digital gender divide by increasing the representation of women in the industry and driving the participation of women to innovate and create solutions for a diverse world. The aim is that ALX will serve as launch pad from which women can successfully launch their careers in one of the most exciting and in-demand fields in the world.

Part of African Leadership International (ALI), ALX is a career accelerator programme that trains thousands of software engineers and develops other in-demand tech talent.

Through this inaugural programme, ALX is taking the kind of direct action needed to reduce the significant gender disparity within the tech sector. Thanks to a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, ALX is offering sponsored placements to thousands of young women who meet the eligibility requirements for this world-class programme. This will equip them with employable skills to enter high-growth career paths in the global digital economy.

“The exclusively female software engineering training programme will help reduce this significant divide, and empower women with the skills necessary to become software engineers,” says Vatiswa Gilivane, Activations Manager at ALX South Africa.

“It is about encouraging young women in South Africa to embrace technology as a future career path. The investment ALX is making in this cohort reflects the potential we see in the country, and provides a dynamic environment for women to see STEM as something that they can be part of,” says Gilivane.

The women participating in the programme will be designing solutions for communities, cities, countries, and the virtual world. They will be at the forefront of Africa’s trajectory into the 4th Industrial Revolution and gain the skills vital to help drive the continent’s economic growth.

The programme will provide women with a collaborative environment for growth, and has been designed to support them from the start of their training and throughout their career journeys as they become part of the exclusive and diverse community of technology professionals.

This programme has been made possible following the recent acquisition by ALI of Holberton Inc, a leading Silicon Valley institution. ALX is now one of the largest software engineering trainers in the world, which aligns with the organisation’s mission to develop Africa’s human capital at scale and to enable women with best-in-class digital skills and excellence.

Applications for the ALX female software engineering training programme opened on February 15, and close on March 15, 2023. The programme will start on March 27.

No prior experience or background in IT is required to apply.

For more information on the programme and its entry requirements, visit www.alxafrica.com.