Five reasons why you should apply for the Women Techsters Fellowship
Written by: Chigozie Paul
Do you know that the application call for the Women Techsters Fellowship class of 2023/2024 will be live in a few days? As we anticipate, here are some essential things you need to know about the Women Techsters Fellowship and five reasons why we think that you should apply for the Women Techsters Fellowship once the call for application is live, yes YOU, especially if you are a female looking to have a successful career in any of the tech career paths: Product Design, Product Management, Cybersecurity, Software development, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Blockchain, Mobile Development, and Mixed realities and 3D.
About the Women Techsters Fellowship.
The Women Techsters Fellowship is one approach of the Women Techsters Initiative to bridge the gender gap between men and women in the tech ecosystem. This initiative was designed by The Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev).
The Women Techsters fellowship is an offshoot of the Nigerian Women Techsters (NWT) program, designed to empower 2,475 Nigerian girls and women between ages 16–40 with coding skills and provide them with career advisory, opportunities, and business mentorship in the technology industry.
The first edition of the Women Techsters Fellowship was in 2021, and through this edition, 127 women across were trained with deep tech skills and soft skills, empowering them with the skills needed to thrive in the tech ecosystem.
The second and most recent edition of the Women Techsters Fellowship kickstarted in 2022, and through this edition, 847 women across 15 African countries were equipped with deep tech and soft skills. Many beneficiaries of both editions have landed international and local jobs, won hackathons and similar competitions, studied STEM-related courses, started STEM-enabled businesses, etc.
This time, the Women Techsters fellowship extends its reach into 22 African countries (watch out for the countries unveiling).
Why the Women Techsters Fellowship?
- It is tuition free: Whether buying a simple course online or registering for training, learning tech can be costly. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average tuition and fees for undergraduate programs in computer and information sciences during the 2020–2021 academic year were $9,687 for in-state students at public institutions and $29,324 for out-of-state students at public institutions.
While this cost may have included additional costs like learning materials and accommodation, it still doesn’t remove the fact that learning STEM can be expensive, making learning out of reach for underserved communities and vulnerable groups.
Many factors contribute to the high cost of learning STEM, but thanks to our partners, if you apply for the Women Techsters fellowship, you don’t have to bear that cost, as the training is tuition-free.
2. It is instructor-led: Have you ever tried learning something new independently? How did it go? Most of the testimonials we get from beneficiaries stress how beneficial instructor-led training is to them compared to when they were learning unsupervised — some of the benefits of Instructor-led training.
- Personalized instruction.
- Interactive learning
- Motivation and accountability
- Collaborative learning
- Immediate feedback e.t.c
3. Unmatchable quality: In Accenture’s Africa Developer Ecosystem Report 2021, Tech4Dev’s Women Techsters was cited as the top program across the continent, focused on supporting the dreams and aspirations of the underrepresented population of women developers. The Women Techsters Fellowship delivers top-notch training through a robust curriculum and dedicated and seasoned facilitators across Africa.
4. Allround training: The Women Techsters Fellowship is an all-round training. It does not just train women in deep tech skills and stop there. Beneficiaries are also trained on soft skills, and from time to time, trainings and seminars are held to prepare program beneficiaries for navigating the Tech ecosystem. In addition, beneficiaries are given the opportunity to practice what they have learned through their capstone projects and the Women Techsters demo day.
5. Networking and community: The Women Techsters Fellowship is a community of incredible women across Africa united by their zeal to learn and make a difference. There is no better opportunity to network with such a wide range of like-minded individuals. If you are looking for classic women supporting women example, the Women Techsters Fellowship is it.
The last set of beneficiaries recorded several women who helped each other through the most challenging phases of their lives. For instance, while giving her speech, the best-graduating beneficiary of the recently concluded Women Techsters Beneficiary class talked about how she was at one of her lowest points during the Women Techsters fellowship and how her friends in the fellowship pulled her out of it and encouraged her not to give up. That’s the kind of community the Women Techsters Fellowship provides.
Do you still need to be convinced? The Women Techsters Fellowship is the best after sliced bread and free money, if we say so ourselves. Call for applications will be live on the 27th of April, 2023. Get ready to apply and tell every girl and woman you know who is looking to transition into tech.
Cheers, we are rooting for you.
