November 16, 2022

Black Girls In Tech Launch New Cyber Academy To Help Women In Tech

Black Girls In Tech are all about making big moves, and the launch of their brand-new cyber academy further proves that.

What Are Black Girls In Tech?

Black Girls In Tech is a UK-based company that aims to increase women’s representation within the tech industry.

According to reports, women comprise approximately 26% of the tech workforce. Unfortunately, they are more prone to leave the industry due to gendered biases and a lack of work-life balance, which is why communities like Black Girls in Tech are essential.

Black Girls In Tech, co-founded by Karen Emelu and Valerie Oyiki, has worked to establish a strong network of young Black women taking up space within the tech industry. Not only do they give these women the flowers they rightfully deserve, but they also give a voice to talents existing in underprivileged Black communities

The company’s main objective is to create a colorful space in the white, male-dominated technology space by allowing women to share their experiences and resources.

Black Girls In Tech’s New Cyber Academy

The announcement of the new cyber academy comes after Lagos’ Tap into Tech conference, which featured high-level talks from experts across cybersecurity, engineering, research, and design.

The academy, launched in partnership with Cisco, marks the organization’s continuous efforts to ensure Black girls and women in Nigeria are aware of the opportunities available.

“In our continued effort to serve as an educational resource for our community worldwide, we are happy that we have the means to continue to engage our community by providing access to learning and training opportunities.” said Karen Emelu, co-founder of Black Girls In Tech.

Members of the Black Girls in Tech community will have the opportunity to sign up to enroll in a course at the academy to get an industry-recognized certification to kickstart their career in tech. The free and available courses range from cybersecurity, networking essentials, and training on programs like Python and C++

Kumba Kpakima

Kumba Kpakima is a reporter at POCIT. A documentary about the knife crime epidemic in the UK got her a nomination for the UK's #30toWatch Young Journalists of the Year.