Cisco Announces Program to Boost Female Participation in Tech

Several government entities and Cisco Mexico have launched the Digital Skills Program for Mexican Women of the 21st Century, which encourages and supports digital literacy and technological specialization.

The Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, and Cisco informed that Mexican women will participate in developing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) skills. The program promotes their inclusion in the labor ecosystems, contributing to the growth and economic development of the country. Only 17 percent of the people working in ICT areas in Mexico are women, according to INEGI.

The Digital Skills Program for Mexican Women will last six months and will be available nationwide.  The program is free of charge and is available for women of 16 and older. The courses are offered online through the Cisco Networking Academy. All the requirements to participate in the program include access to a computer or other devices (tablet, smartphone) and internet connection.

The Ministry of Economy has reported that the course will be divided into two phases. The first phase consists of introductory digital literacy courses that include topics such as connectivity, cybersecurity, and knowledge of the Internet of Things to promote gender digital inclusion. The second phase offers specialized courses corresponding to industry certifications to favor job specialization, such as programming in Phyton, Introduction to CCNA1 networks and DevNet Associate.

The last stage of the program includes a workshop in which a hackathon will be held to promote technological innovation, community problem solving and gender inclusion. An online master class will also be held, promoting soft skills.

Students who complete any of the courses will receive recognition by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Labor and Cisco. Participants who have completed the lessons of the second phase will be able to register to Cisco Talent Bridge, an engine for linking Cisco Networking Academy talent with the labor market.

The technology manufacturer Cisco estimates an in-kind contribution of more than MX$29 million (US$1,45 million) granted through the Cisco Networking Academy and Country Digital Acceleration programs to support digital acceleration globally and engaged in the Mexican Public Sector.

As previously reported by MBN, Google unveiled the initiative Grow with Google for Women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to help close the gender gap. The three-month program aims to train 100 female engineers and student engineers to increase job opportunities in the cloud computing industry. 

Grow with Google for Women in STEM will mix weekly virtual soft skills sessions with cloud-based topics. Female participants will be able to specialize as Associate Cloud Engineers.