Momentum, which seeks to connect women technology graduates with employers

The first graduates of the Momentum Amazon Web Service Restart Training Program will soon enter the workforce.

Now, the nonprofit wants to connect with technology companies here in Calgary.

The pilot program was launched earlier this year in partnership with the Alberta government. It was especially targeted at women who wanted to enter the tech industry.

The program, as planned, has filled the first 13 places for women looking to start a new career. Graduates will receive certification from AWS cloud professionals who are skilled in programming for cloud services.

As a last resort, Momentum wants their students to have workplace experience before graduating.

“We have an employer line that we can attract, but we know this is an exciting opportunity for employers who want to see more women in the technology sector,” said Donna McKrid, director of operations at Momentum.

McMurrid says it is a practical way to find talented people in the tech industry. It is also the perfect way to build corporate diversity.

“Often when a Momentum participant works on site, even as a work experience participant, they hire people who come through our programs because of the quality and readiness of this real-world experience.”

$ 1.9 million pilot project

The pilot program is supported by $ 1.9 million from the state. This includes subsidies for living and child care.

Two additional student groups are planned for the pilot program.

Prior to the test, the supply of START programs was restricted to the transfer of oil and gas workers to the tech sector. Or, for college-age students. None are designed specifically for women who want to enter the technical field.

One of the current pilot program students, Maron Wedajo, a college student or an oil and gas worker, does not have the same program offerings.

My friend worked as a piano teacher before the outbreak, but during the first locks she was forced to learn basic technology skills to meet the needs of her clients, so she decided to make the change.

“I was working at my studio and one day – basically on the weekends – I had to switch to online education, and for the first time I had to solve technology problems for my clients,” she said.

“So with about 60 students, their parents and their tools, I just had to adjust these different solutions and that got me interested in technology, and I started exploring these things in depth and it was fun.”

My friend said that there was a lot of overlap between her previous work with music and now creating computer code.

“When the teacher talks about it, I can understand everything that is going on in the classroom,” said the friend.

“Going back and fixing things that don’t work is definitely relevant, and they all have the same structure. You have to build your foundation, you have to develop it like you develop a piece – you have to try it, see if it works, see if people like it and use it.”

“So that’s what you do when you present music to people.”

Different backgrounds required for industry

The technology industry is focusing on bridging the gap in hiring qualified technology workers.

A recent CNBC report highlighted relatively slow profits in hiring women and men of color by major technology employers. According to their report, Facebook and Google accounted for more than 20 percent of women in 2014 and more than 20 percent in 2019.

FAANG shareholders, including Facebook, Apple, Google and Amazon, have tweeted major promises to increase the diversity of their employees. IBM recently decided to hire a variety of staff for its new Western Canada Innovation Center.

McMurrid said Momentum graduates will help build that diverse technology industry in the city.

“There are not many women in it, there is really low representation, so you can help spread that ecosystem and be part of something here in Calgary,” she said.

From a friend’s point of view, the current group of students is bringing a wide range of skills that may not have entered the tech industry.

“There is such a big pool of experience, and I think in this program, Momentum, only with the age group they are targeting, everyone is bringing a lot of experience – they have learned and worked,” she said.

My friend emphasized that this program is not just about diversity for diversity. To meet the needs of the industry is to provide quality, well-trained technology graduates.

“It’s not just about diversity – we can represent the unheard of voice – it’s good to bring women’s perspectives into the world of technology and the solutions you can design, but they are. It allows us to be competent and do the job well.”