Women in the technology industry face several significant obstacles to becoming a vital team member that shapes thought leadership, drives research and leads to transformative innovations.
To lessen these challenges, Iron Flame Labs has created the Color Me Code program. This innovative program is for women of color looking for ground-level opportunities, career enhancements, and a place where their technical skills can be enhanced. Our program has partnered with several IT certifying organizations like CompTIA, ISC2, and EC Council to ensure participants learn relevant and best of breed technologies essential to career development in the IT world.
Our program also goes beyond certification and training by offering participants lifetime membership to our community of technicians who will provide real-world case studies and real-time client projects. This approach allows participants to put their skills to work immediately and attain resume-building experiences.
The percentage of women who pursue STEM research careers is also severely lacking, even in some of the more technologically progressive countries, like the United States and China. It is disturbing to note that only 20 percent of nations worldwide have achieved gender parity when it comes to having women scientists carry out scientific research.
Governmental agencies, universities, and other organizations have been studying some of the reasons women and girls are not able to achieve the same growth and career expansion opportunities as men. Iron Flame Labs hopes to help offset these disparities with their program.
Surprisingly, American women comprise only 24 percent of the STEM workforce. And many who dare to embark upon careers in these highly technical fields have a far shorter career lifespan than their male colleagues–only staying an average of ten years. The numbers are even more abysmal for women of color.
The Color Me Code Program will add over 100 IT certified and trained women to the industry. Tarik Nasir, CEO of Iron Flame Labs, stated, “Our program will reserve 40 percent of these training slots for women who are currently working in the IT field and looking to advance their careers but need vital certifications. Another 40 percent of our participants will be women retooling or transitioning into the IT field from other industries. The last 20 percent will be those returning to the workforce or entering the workforce for the first time.”
For more about our program and the guidelines, please contact Dr. Katina Webster at 703-655-0453 x 1023
